POLICE horse Wellington, named after the town and its famous monument on the Blackdown Hills during the Covid-19 pandemic, has died.

Town councillors sponsored a horse blanket bearing the council’s crest for the then-newly-qualified police horse in March, 2020, and an official naming ceremony was held at Wellington Monument in front of local schoolchildren.

Now, Avon and Somerset Constabulary has confirmed PH Wellington was put to sleep following a lengthy problem with arthritis.

Former Wellington Mayor Cllr Janet Lloyd, who made the 2020 presentation, said this week: “I was extremely disappointed to hear the sad news of PH Wellington.

“It was a great honour for us to have a police horse named after the town and it is such a shame that we will no longer see him performing his duties locally.

“I would hope that maybe in future we can have another police horse named Wellington to keep the name going.”

A police spokeswoman told the Wellington Weekly: “Despite officers’ best efforts to help PH Wellington, he was lame and unable to even walk without pain.

“It is always our intention when a police horse can no longer carry on in service to allow them to retire to the fields.

“However, in PH Wellington’s case, the hope of a pain-free and good quality retirement was not possible, and the team made the difficult decision to have him put to sleep.”

Mounted police Sgt Hannah Clarke, who was PH Wellington’s rider, said: “He was a cheeky chap and was a much-loved member of the mounted division.

“He had a very funny character and took part in a number of football game operations and ceremonial services such as Remembrance Sunday.

“He was active throughout Covid in a number of operations and played a key role in supporting mounted officers in training.

“He is still loved and missed by the team, but we know the decision was the best for Wellington so he would not suffer.”

The green horse blanket given by Wellington councillors has since been passed to PH Platinum for his use.

The spokeswoman said: “Police horses are an important part of everyday policing.

“The mounted section provides great support with public order, crowd control, and provide a higher view point while out on patrol.

“They are also key in searches for missing people as they allow officers to go off the beaten track.

“Police horses are also great for community engagement, and we often find people love to come up to our mounted officers and interact with them and the horses.”