Loose horse, foul language & spitting WWYD? <long sorry>

[Bossybritches]

Speaking from experience, unless you have independent witnesses/a recording of the threats the police will do nothing as there is nothing to stand up in court. Do you have a smartphone? It can be your best friend. Take video of the horse tethered in an inappropriate place/manner. Take video if it is loose. In any situation where you are likely to encounter these people have the voice recorder on. The video will help the welfare authorities & environmental health, the voice recorder will help you with talking to the police about the threats.
It's all very well people complaining that the authorities won't do anything but fortunately our legal system requires evidence of an event happening before action can be taken.

Yes Hairy I have witnesses, and pictures sadly not video but I have made a mental note to get camera phone out quicker next time. Because of the lack of evidence re the horses, I'm aware we need to build up a dossier like an ASBO record. I'm trying to encourage anyone who mentions it to report it to the police & RSPCA & get an incident/report number. Hopefully we can build up as case against them for AS behaviour if nothing else.

It is telling that whenever I speak to any authorities about this without mentioning names, they instantly ask if it's Family X, they are well known to many agencies but as you say without eveidence can do nothing.

 

[Bossybritches]

As a former welfare officer I know how awful it is to be a family living to close to one of these groups.
I can only counsel to be to careful log everything I would make a formal compliant about the spitting etc and keep reporting to the police.
You need also to work on the council as others have said they have a duty to be in someway responsible what goes on on their property , if they are council tenants you have another line of attack there.
It's a shame the police are sidestepping the issue by saying its up to the RSPCA it does not need to be thus and I have met some proactive police officers in the past .
Go to WHW and the BHS and see if they can help but these people are very experianced at exploiting the law and understand well how to do it .
I chased round some for years but they got careless and the RSPCA made a case and got them banned in the end.
Thank you for standing up to these bullies.

Sorry answering these out of order!

Thanks for the advice & kids words. You are right about them knowing the law. The Officer last night says they have been brought to court endless times and just say all the right things & go right back to the same behaviour. You'd think someone by now would have said "Enough".

*sigh* anyway I'll keep trying, I'm like a terrier when I get going