POLICE have allayed fears that a dead horse found in a Hampshire village marked the return of the Hampshire 'horse ripper'.

The incident was initially thought to have been an attack but a post-mortem has revealed that the horse's injuries were caused naturally and by other animals.

The body was discovered in the village near Alresford on Thursday.

It was found in a field off Willis Lane, next to Alton Vehicle Hire.

Police quickly moved to tell horse owners in the area to stay vigilant. Reassurance patrols were carried out in the area by Hampshire police and Thames Valley Police officers.

However a post-mortem by a vet revealed the true nature of the gruesome injuries.

Police initially kept an open mind on whether the incident was connected to a spate of horse killing across Hampshire in the 1990s.

As reported earlier today a horse called Mountbatten was killed in Four Marks in 1993 and police launched Investigation Mountbatten after a spate of a attacks on horses in the county but no-one was ever prosecuted despite more than 20 arrests.

A spokesperson for Hampshire police said: “Officers investigating after a pony was found dead in a field on Willis Lane in Four Marks on Thursday afternoon are satisfied that there is no suspicious activity linked to this incident.

“The pony appeared to have injuries consistent with an attack. However, following a forensic examination by a vet, it appears that the animal died of natural causes.

"Other injuries which may have indicated that the pony had been attacked are thought to have been caused by other animals after the pony had died.

“We would like to thank animal owners in Four Marks for their help and vigilance following this incident.”