Horse shot in the head in Cotswolds village

Police are investigating after a horse was shot in the head in a peaceful Cotswolds village.

The four-year-old mare "suffered incredibly" as a result of its injuries and was later put down.

Officers said the attack took place on Thursday night, while the horse was on farmland at Cowley in Gloucestershire.

PC Jon Warren, of Gloucestershire Constabulary, said: "This was a cowardly and targeted attack on an animal who suffered incredibly as a result of its injuries."

The village of Cowley, which has a population of 300 people, is set between Cheltenham and Cirencester in the picturesque Churn Valley.

The brutal attack took place in the southern area of North Barn Farm, close to a single-track road leading towards nearby Cockleford.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police.