Quick-thinking officers had to improvise after being saddled with the task of rounding up horses running amok in rush hour traffic.

Police were called to recover the stray steeds after they were spotted by motorists in Greenhithe this morning.

One horse was reported to be seen galloping down the middle of the road near the traffic lights on Steele Avenue.

A sighting of six horses and a foal was also spotted in Hedge Place Road.

They were shepherded away from the road with the help of retiree Tim Phillips who was driving his wife to work at Darent Valley Hospital when he spotted one of the horses near Crossways Boulevard

"I stopped and called Police," he said. "I tried to keep the horse on the embankment with my car.

"Unfortunately, the horse had other ideas and ran onto the B225 towards the A2226 London Road.

"The horse had picked up the idea of pedestrian crossings and moved to the opposite carriageway onto Steele Avenue. I followed it the Burger King roundabout when police arrived."

Photos from the scene show officers using rope taken from a nearby building site to round up one of the escapee horses.

Mr Phillips added: "A quick rummage in the boot of the police car revealed no useful horse controlling equipment so they borrowed rope from a building site.

"A member of the public pointed out that the horse had moved to St Marys Road, near Stone Crossing.

"Police followed it with the borrowed rope and eventually managed to trap it so that an improvised halter could be put round it."

A spokesperson for Kent Police said: "Police were called at 7.50am to a report of stray horses in Hedge Place Road, Greenhithe.

"Officers attended the area and the horses were recovered and returned to the owner."