Cops are hoping to hunt down a football fan who tried to pull an officer from a police horse before attempting to remove its saddle. Greater Manchester Police has released CCTV images of a man they wish to speak to following the incident, which took place in Wigan last month.
Police say the unknown offender is believed to be a Plymouth Argyle supporter - with the incident taking place on Saturday, April 23, when the side played Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium. After trying to pull the officer from GMP's Mounted Unit down to the ground, the offender then reached underneath the horse in an attempt to remove the saddle, the force says.
Officers are today (May 10) making a fresh appeal for information and have released two CCTV images following the incident. Anyone who knows the man in the picture or has details about the incident is being urged to come forward.
PC Martin Dickinson, of GMPs Specialist Operations Unit, said: “This behaviour is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in any circumstance. If this person had been successful in pulling the officer from the horse in such a confined area with a large crowd, the consequences could have been catastrophic and would have undoubtedly left the officer injured.
“I’d like to appeal to anyone who knows the male pictured in the CCTV image to please contact police, as we would like to speak to him as part of our enquiries." The match, which was Latics' final home game in the side's League One title-winning season, ended in a 1-1 draw.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log number 1275 of April 23, 2022, or use the Live Chat service on GMP's website. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
