Concerns about new equine border control facilities

A rider took the option of a fine rather than risk her horse colicking owing to a long wait

- ELEANOR JONES

CONCERNS have emerged about the inland border facility at Sevington, as one owner has described it as "a shambles".

Sam Dean contacted H&H after a bad experience at the facility, near Ashford, Kent. H&H has reported that the border control post (BCP) for horses returning from Europe is due to open there this autumn. For now, it is here drivers must go to have their carnets documents on which horses and equipment must be listed - stamped.

Sam said she and her daughter had already had an "awful" journey back from Sentower, Belgium, when they arrived at Sevington at about 4pm on 2 February.

"The new facility is a shambles," she said. "We had everything ready to be checked, but it was packed and my allocated parking space was taken. The parking man was shouting, saying I needed to wait, the spaces are too tight; there were lorries everywhere trying to park in these too-small spaces, but I eventually managed to find one.

"I went to get the carnets stamped but they said the office was shut as their computer system had gone down at midnight and they didn't know how long we'd have to wait."