Animal-lovers are growing increasingly concerned for a "neglected" horse at a disused site near a busy main road in Hillingdon.

The chestnut horse, with white blaze marking, has been living off carrots and apples from passers-by but has no water supply, locals have claimed.

Karen Harding, from Harefield, who volunteers for charity DogLost, wants to find the horse's owner and see that he's kept in better conditions.

She said: “He's absolutely beautiful and only about three or four-years-old and just shouldn't be where he is.

“He's been neglectfully left on the Master Brewer site at Hillingdon Circus... it's an obscure place for a horse, it really is unsuitable.”

Ms Harding has been regularly checking on the horse and has informed the RSPCA.

She said: “We've been going down there and checking him out.

“There's old fencing there and the horse keeps treading on it. He got himself pinned up against the fence whilst we were there so we put a headcollar on him and took him over to the adjoining field but he keeps coming back.”

Ms Harding worries for his future welfare and is concerned that he may have been stolen from his owners and dumped.

She told getwestlondon: “The metal fencing he keeps walking on is going to break eventually. He's already got cuts on his nose and hasn't been treated.

“He's got a nice shiny coat but it's all matted and horrible and he's so glad when we get here as he likes the company.

“There's a lot of chat about the horse on Facebook, saying he could have been there for months and that several people have reported it to the RSPCA.”

The horse is covered in thistles and has not been groomed or given water

An RSPCA spokeswoman says issues involving horses are “sadly not uncommon”.

She said: “The country is currently in the grip of a horse crisis with the RSPCA and other horse welfare charities struggling to cope with the numbers of abandoned, neglected and abused horses.

“We are stretched to breaking point with about 125 places at our equine centres and over 500 horses in our care. We are also calling for better enforcement of legislation surrounding identification so that we can trace the owners of neglected or mistreated horses."

The RSPCA are working closely with other equine charities including World Horse Welfare, Redwings, Blue Cross and BHS, to tackle the horse crisis.

The spokeswoman added: “We have also been lobbying for new legislation in England to help landowners and local authorities to tackle fly grazing and to enforce identification laws.

“This legislation, the Control of Horses Bill, was brought into effect on May 26 this year. We always need people to offer rescued horses a new home."

For more details, visit the RSPCA website.