United Kingdom-Only Fools and Horses.

Scores of horses confiscated from travellers by police have been stolen from the secret location in Northumberland where they were being held.

Detectives believe travellers raided the site, near Heddon-on-the-Wall, near Throckley, to recover their animals, which were impounded after being allowed to roam free.

The raid is a major embarrassment for police chiefs who hailed last week’s opADVERTISEMENTeration - the biggest of its kind ever mounted in the UK - as a major success.

More than 50 Durham police rounded up 40 horses and 20 sheep in Hunwick, near Bishop Auckland.

Operation Beausaddle was the force’s response to a surge in complaints about stray horses causing havoc on the busy A689 into Bishop Auckland.

The animals were moved 30 miles away to what was supposed to be a secret location.

But on Saturday night, only 48 hours after the police raid, a fleet of trailers was seen arriving at the site.

Police said the raiders cut through a fence to reach the animals, before leading them over two fields and a ditch to horse boxes parked by the A69.

During the raid, one of the horses suffered a broken leg and had to be put down by police.

No-one has been arrested for theft in connection with the incident and Durham Police are still searching for the horses.