A horse's face was slashed and anti-English graffiti daubed on a stables owned by a Cardiff woman who had moved to a village in west Wales.

Alison Hayes, who was born in the Welsh capital, found her seven-month-old pony with a 4in (10cm) wound on its face.

As she helped the animal at her land in Tegryn, near Crymych, Pembrokeshire, she also noticed graffiti written in slang Welsh saying "English out".

Dyfed-Powys Police are investigating the attack.

Mrs Hayes and her husband moved to the area last year with the intention of opening a riding stables.

But she was shocked when she discovered their pony, Hope, with a bleeding wound on her nose.

"It is awful, she is very frightened," she explained.

"She has a 4in piece of flesh hanging of her face.

"I just can't understand it - I'm from Cardiff, I was born there. My mother and father are both Welsh - what's going on?

"This is a Welsh-speaking area and they might have mistaken our Cardiff accents for English, that is all I can think," she added.

"This was an incredibly cruel thing to do. Hope is a beautiful, friendly animal and she was slashed across the face and mouth.

"The motivation of these people was ridiculous and to take it out on an innocent horse was wicked.

"Hope loved being around people but now I can't get near her. She is terrified."

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