[WATCH] Footage reveals deleterious conditions of police horse stables

A shocking footage of the state of the Police force's mounted police section has revealed a deleterious environment for police horses in stables that appear in urgent need of structural care, and most pressingly, the extermination of vermin.

The footage was broadcast on One TV's current affairs programme TX, and for the squeamish who are easily revolted by the sight of rats, it can make for some very uncomfortable viewing.

The footage has revealed a dilapidated environment for the horses that are the pride of the mounted police force, infested with rats which have littered the stables and the recreational area for officers, with their droppings. Rats can be a common sight around such beasts, but little attention seems to be devoted to curb the spread of possible disease or infection from their droppings.

The officers' mess appears in a shambles, with old fixtures and furniture, and even a dirty kitchen that is not spared by the presence of rat droppings.

The visible structural damage, evident in the cracks that run across the walls, are in need of urgent attention. Old lighting fixtures and electrical wiring only compound the sense of risk that these stables seem to convey.

Animal lovers and animal rights activists will no doubt be taken aback by the shots of two horses, retired due to their age, in an allegedly unhealthy state. One of them struggles to stand up, but is clearly not being tended to properly: according to TX, mounted police officers have had to be recalled on other pressing duties during the summer days.