Crackdown on rogue riding schools

Selby District Council has brought successful prosecutions in two separate cases against women who were running unlicensed riding schools.

Both Louise Harrison of West Bank, Carlton, and Heather Talbot, of Chapelfields, Cliffe, had failed to obtain a licence from the authority for their businesses.

A council spokeswoman stressed that the prosecutions are part of an ongoing campaign to ensure that riding schools across the district are not breaking the law and have the necessary licence in place.

She added: “Selby District Council takes a serious view of the fact that the public could be endangered by illegal businesses providing services which are uninsured and unregulated.

“We will continue to monitor riding schools which are operating in the Selby district to ensure they are fully licensed.”

During the hearing at Selby Magistrates Court on Tuesday, Harrison pleaded guilty to an offence of keeping a premises called West Bank Riding Stables without a licence.

She claimed she had filled in the forms for a licence and insurance but had not proceeded because she did not believe that she had enough horses.

Harrison told the court she has now applied for a licence and she is acting on recommendations from vets so that she can become licensed.

She was given an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £140.

Talbot’s case was heard before magistrates on the same day after she had pleaded guilty by post to an offence of keeping a premises known as Woodhall Stables without a licence.

She was ordered to pay a fine of £100, along with prosecution costs of £140 and a victim surcharge of £15.

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