An animal welfare group is urging the public to write to the Corporation of Hamilton to ban horses from the city.

After two horses bolted during a Harbour Nights Event, four weeks ago the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said horses should work in the Botanical Gardens.

And following a second incident of a horse bolting in Hamilton on Wednesday, the group, yesterday sent an e-mail to its members urging them to write letters to the Mayor of Hamilton, Sutherland Madeiros, for a city-wide ban.

In the e-mail the group said: "For many years the SPCA has been calling for restrictions on the use of horse and carriages within the City of Hamilton. The SPCA's concern continues to be for the welfare of the horses and the safety of the general public.

"Horses are sensitive animals and the combination of heat, noise, traffic and construction adds to the stress placed on these animals while they are pulling carriages full of passengers though busy streets."

In the past four weeks, there have been two incidents with bolting horses within the City of Hamilton. On April 25, 19 visitors and Bermudians were injured after two horses bolted with their carriage attached.

And on Wednesday afternoon a horse dashed along Front Street onto Bermudiana Road before a brave, citizen was able to grab the carriage and bring it to a halt on Par-la-Ville Road.

In response to these incidents and previous problems at the Bermuda Day Parade the Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs, Wayne Perinchief said horses and carriages would be banned from the parade this year.

However, the SPCA believes horses should be completely banned from the city adding: "It is no surprise that the above incidents happened and it is reasonable to believe similar incidents will continue to happen.

"In the wake of the incident at Harbour Nights and this week's episode where an unmanned horse and carriage bolted through Hamilton, the SPCA is asking all concerned members of the public to write to the Mayor of Hamilton, Mr. Sutherland Madeiros, calling for a city-wide ban on the use of horse drawn carriages."

The animal welfare group is urging concerned citizens to submit letters via e-mail to smadeiros@cityhall.bm with a cc to kmiller@cityhall.bm before next week when the Corporation will meet to discuss the issue.