EXCLUSIVE: Man in court accused of cruelty to two ponies by not feeding them

PROSECUTION: Ponies pictured on Mitchell Buckley's Facebook page - it is not known if any of these feature in the case

A MAN has been summonsed to court facing allegations of cruelty to two ponies.

Mitchell Buckley, 31, from Feenan Highway, Tilbury, in Essex, is being prosecuted by the RSPCA over alleged ill-treatment of a black male pony and a black mare cob-type pony.

The animal charity, which can bring prosecutions, alleges that between January 15 and March 1 this year at Tilbury that Buckley "failed to meet the animals' need for a suitable diet."

EQUINE: Buckley's Facebook page includes pictures of many animals but it is not known if they are ones in the case

It also alleges that Between January and March he failed to provide the ponies with an effective parasitic worm control programme.

The RSPCA said on March 1 the animals were not found to be living in a suitable living environment.

The fourth alleged offence is that between February 8 and March 1 he failed to "meet their need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury or disease by failing to adequately investigate or address the causes of their weight loss and poor body condition."

The case was adjourned at Basildon Magistrates Court until later this month.