Police control room staff in the Bristol area have been provided with the latest digital system of guidelines listing experts to contact when dealing with emergencies involving horses.

The Safer Horse Rescues guidelines - previously called the Emergency Services Protocol - were drawn up two years ago to prevent horses involved in accidents suffering unnecessarily.

But a row erupted in the summer when they appeared not to have been followed when a horse severely injured in an accident in Bitton bled to death when no-one could be found to put it out of its misery.

Criticism was aimed at the police for not finding a vet and refusing to allow a local farmer to shoot the horse, which had suffered catastrophic injuries when it bolted and crashed into a car.

As a result of the incident, welfare organisations, vets and the emergency services were brought together at Bristol's equine charity HorseWorld, where it was agreed that more work needed to be done to make call centre handlers aware of the guidelines, despite chief police officers being involved in drawing them up in the first place and copies being sent to the emergency services.

Fire services, the British Horse Society (BHS) and the British Equine Veterinary Association had also been involved in the project.

Now the Avon and Somerset Police communications centre has been supplied with the latest digital version of the guidelines, which include a list of specialist equine vets covering the area.

PC Chris Skelton, the beat manager for the Boyd Valley, which includes Bitton, told a public meeting in Mangotsfield of the latest development, which should make it easier for the right people to be called out when there is a horse involved in an accident.

The meeting at Cleve Rugby Club was organised by Bristol's Veteran Horse, Pony and Riders Club (VHPRC) with PC Skelton in response to the Bitton accident.

It covered areas such as road safety, how emergencies involving horses should be handled, veterinary care and action riders can take when waiting for professional help to arrive at the scene of an emergency.

Vets Tim Brazil and Pete Ravenhill were among the speakers, as well as BHS South West development officer Julie Garbutt (corr).

VHPRC chairwoman Sue Jones said: "We have covered some very important issues and hopefully we can improve things for the safety of our horses and ourselves.

"Accidents will undoubtedly continue to happen but hopefully we will be better prepared so we can prevent suffering."