'Blood-soaked' horses on loose in central London recovered as spooked animals injure at least four people

A ‘number of horses’ have been spotted bolting through central London rider-less, with at least one appearing to be covered in blood.

The animals, which were wearing saddles and bridles, were spotted on the loose running in the middle of the road near Aldwych on Wednesday morning (April 24). A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “We are aware of a number of horses on the loose in central London. We are working with colleagues in the Army to locate them.”

According to reports, five horses bolted near Buckingham Palace and threw their riders who were members of the Household Calvary, with London Ambulance Service saying statement: “We were called at 8:25am today (April 24) to reports of a person being thrown from a horse on Buckingham Palace Road, SW1W. We sent resources to the scene including ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, and an incident response officer. Our first paramedic was on the scene in five minutes.”

Th ambulance service added in a later update: “We responded to several calls regarding an incident with horses on the loose in central London this morning. We sent multiple resources to the three scenes, treating four patients in total and taking them all to hospital. We have since been stood down.”

Pictures and videos were shared on social media of the incident showing a black 4x4 following the animals with its blue light on. There were reports that the horses ploughed into bystanders and vehicles when they escaped.

It has been confirmed that all of the horses have since been captured. Westminster Police said in an update: “We're pleased to confirm that all of the horses have been accounted for. We are continuing to liaise with the Army.”

At least four people, including army personnel, were injured in the incident, all of whom have been transported to hospital for treatment. A taxi driver who was waiting outside the Clermont Hotel on Buckingham Palace Road had his windows smashed and a double decker bus was also hit by of the spooked animals.

An Army spokesperson said: “A number of military working horses became loose during routine exercise this morning. All of the horses have now been recovered and returned to camp. A number of personnel and horses have been injured and are receiving the appropriate medical attention.”