A pony assumed to have been abandoned after she was found wandering the roads in Diss has been offered a secure home at Redwings Horse Sanctuary.

The tiny pony, who is thought to be between three and four months old, was found roaming the streets of Diss in Norfolk by a local family at the end of May.

They moved her to safety by placing her in their back garden until the authorities could arrive to collect her, and even gave her a parasol to use as a shelter. They named the pony 'Lottie'. She was severely underweight, weighing just 49kgs, and was suffering from diarrhoea and dehydration.

No owner could be located for her, and Lottie was taken to the Redwings Reception Centre in Norfolk to receive immediate treatment from the charity's team of vets. She has now been signed over to Redwings by the RSPCA. It is suspected that she was deliberately abandoned.

RSPCA Animal Welfare Officer Craig Plumley said: 'This little pony was probably abandoned because her irresponsible owners did not want to pay for vet treatment to get her better. It is cruel and heartless and we would still like to hear from anyone who knows where she came from and who owned her. Anyone with any information should call us on 0300 1234 999.'

Over the past year Redwings – the largest horse sanctuary in the UK – has been working with other animal welfare charities including the RSPCA to highlight the increasing problem of equine abandonments in England and Wales. To find out more about the horse crisis or how you can help improve the lives of equines across the UK, download the charities' report 'Left on the Verge' from www.redwings.org.uk.