Estate veteran Eric in housing milestone

Blackjack was removed by a council contractor from land next to John Smeaton Community College, Stanks, in what owner Carl Holroyd has compared to a "car clamping" operation.

Mr Holroyd, 33, says he thought the Pendas Fields site was common ground when he tethered Blackjack there just over a month ago.

When the father-of-four arrived to feed the horse on the morning of October 14, the animal had vanished.

A notice tied to a nearby lamppost said Blackjack had been "impounded" by a firm called PPS acting on behalf of Leeds City Council.

The notice also directed Mr Holroyd to Holbeck Police Station, where he picked up a claim form which he sent off to a correspondence-style address in London.

Now, Mr Holroyd and his partner, 21-year-old Vicky Butterfield, have received a letter from the contractor saying they will have to pay £1,350 for the return of their horse.

If they do not come up with the money, says the letter, "the equine will be disposed of". It also warns: "This matter is not open to negotiation."

Repeated attempts to find out more about the contractor drew a blank, leaving the couple worried they had been targeted by con artists.

Inquiries by the YEP, however, established that the contractor works with the city council and the police to tackle improperly-tethered horses in Leeds.

It is understood details of the firm are kept out of the public domain to protect its staff against reprisals. Many of the animals dealt with by the contractor belong to members of the travelling community.

A council spokesman said: "We took swift action to ensure the safety of the horse and the public. It is only fair that the owner reimburses the stabling cost to the taxpayer."