'It's like losing a friend' - Avon & Somerset Police mourns loss of police horse Blaise

• ITV News West Country meets the team from Avon & Somerset's Mounted Police Section who worked closely with Blaise

Avon & Somerset Police officers are mourning the loss of one of the force's horses.

Blaise died suddenly of complications following an attack of colic.

Avon & Somerset shared the news on 'X" formerly known as Twitter: "We have some very sad news - we lost PH Blaise recently to a sudden bout of colic, despite the best efforts of the team and our vets we were unable to make him better.

"He was our chatty, cheeky little chap and will be missed terribly."

The police horse was adored by everyone at Avon & Somerset's Mounted Police section.

Handler PC Amy Glew worked with Blaise for three years.

She said: "It's like losing a friend really, like a partner that I've had, for the section we've lost a really good police horse, but we've lost one of the team and it's just really sad and it's just such a shock."

Police horses work as a close team with their riders and can patrol in the most stressful of situations.

Blaise was one of the horses present at the Bristol riots three years ago.

PC Glew was not the officer riding him at that time, but she said Blaise would have done exactly what he was trained to do.

"During that disorder he showed what a brilliant police horse he was," she added.

"He was brave and took everything in his stride and took the challenges on board that his was faced with which is credit to him."

Sgt Hannah Clark from the Mounted Police Unit said Blaise's sudden death was a shock.

She said: "Quite often there's a lead up to a horse that passes away on the Mounted Section, but this case was really sudden so it was a shock to us all.

"He was a much loved member of the team."

Amy Glew is now exercising a new police horse known as Somerset.

She said: "He's another one of our brilliant horses and does a great job."

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