Pony put to sleep after being struck by van on boxing day

A pony has been put to sleep after a van collided with it on a County Durham road yesterday.

Durham Police confirmed they were called to a crash on Greenfields Road in Bishop Auckland at 5:05pm on Tuesday (December 26).

A van had collided with the pony and a vet was called to the scene to assess the animal.

Police confirmed it had suffered “unsurvivable” injuries while the driver was left uninjured.

A Durham Constabulary spokesperson said: “Police were called at 5.05pm yesterday (December 26) to Greenfields Road, in Bishop Auckland, after a van collided with a pony.

“A specialist equine vet was called to the scene to assess the pony. Tragically, its injuries were unsurvivable and the animal was euthanised.

“The driver of the van was uninjured.”