Police detain horse over stolen car

A horse was detained by police yesterday over the theft of a vehicle in South Africa's sprawling Soweto township.

"We have apprehended a horse and two suspects for being in possession of a suspected stolen vehicle,'' police spokeswoman Captain Lindiwe Mbatha said.

"Cops patrolling the township pulled over a cart carrying a stripped body of a brand new car, a Corolla Conquest, suspected to have been stolen.

"The cart was drawn by a horse with two suspects on board. They were locked for being in possession of a suspected stolen vehicle and will appear in court within 48 hours,'' Capt Mbatha said.

She said that by law they were not allowed to leave the animal and its "stolen'' load in the street while the suspects were taken to holding cells.

"The animal had to be taken in with its carriage and the suspects. We couldn't leave the horse on the road because it was carrying a suspected stolen car,'' she said.

The horse was later released into the care of animal rights association in Johannesburg, but the two suspects were still behind bars and expected to appear in court shortly.