Three men have been told to carry out a total of 360 hours of unpaid work in their community after causing unnecessary suffering to 10 ponies.

Charlie Robert Swallow, 23, John Taylor, 47, and his son John Andrew William Taylor, 24, appeared at King's Lynn Magistrates' Court today to be sentenced for a combined 52 charges relating to the ponies.

The offences happened between January 13 and February 3 at Blunts Drove, Walton Highway, near Wisbech. The animals included a chestnut cob pony, a piebald cob colt, a chestnut native pony, a skewbald cob filly, and a skewbald cob mare.

The trio were convicted of charges of causing unnecessary suffering to the ponies and failing to ensure their needs were being met at the same court last month.

District judge Peter Veits ordered the trio to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work each as part of 12 month community orders and to pay �250 each in court costs.

But Swallow, of Churchfield Road, Taylor, of Wisbech Road, both Outwell, and his 24-year-old son, of Blunts Drove, Walton Highway, were not disqualified from keeping horses in the future.

The judge also ruled that the ponies should be made the subject of a deprivation order, meaning they will remain with the RSPCA to be re-homed.