New legislation to tackle the scourge of fly grazing of horses has been welcomed by Hertfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd.

Fly grazing is using someone else's land, without permission, to graze horses, and the new law, which came into force on Tuesday, May 26.

Commissioner David Lloyd said: "Not only will the Control of Horses Act improve animal welfare but it will reduce disruption and the potential for serious injury collisions on our roads.

"My deputy has been working for some months on this issue and has raised it at a national level, so we are delighted that this has finally become law.

"We look forward to working with our partners in Hertfordshire to take it a step further and ensure it does not become a burden to local authorities and animal welfare charities."

The new Act means fly-grazing horses have to be reported to police within 24 hours and owners now have four days to claim their animals. The new law extends the options for dealing with abandoned horses to include private sale, gifting and rehoming, which has been welcomed by animal welfare campaigners.

In Hertfordshire, a multi-agency summit is due to take place on June 3 to discuss what the legislation will mean for the county and what more can be done to deal with those who continue to flout the law.