A KNUTSFORD milkman had a bit of a surprise when he was forced to halt his morning round to stop a group of escaped horses making their way into the town centre.

Sheldons milkman Pete Webb was on his rounds when he came across the horses at 3.45am this morning, Thursday, close to the Lambing Shed on Chelford Road.

He told the Guardian: "They came in front of me and at quarter to four in the morning it startled me a bit.

"I rang the police and I herded them slowly with my float to Booths Hall roundabout.

"I then blocked the Knutsford entrance to the roundabout to stop them heading into town.

"The police then turned up and dealt with them."

Colleague Steve Edwards added: "Pete rang me up but I told him to ring the police.

"He said they were following him so he had to do something as he couldn't stop there all morning. He realised though that if the horses had run down towards the Legh Arms he wasn't sure what would have happened."

Cheshire Police returned the horses to their owners.