A video has emerged of Kent police in pursuit of two men riding a horse and cart through the streets of Canterbury.

The footage shows two young men galloping along Broad Street and Military Road, just next to the city’s historic Cathedral. The video was originally shared on Twitter, and has since been posted to Facebook and received nearly 100 thousand views.

A spokesperson for Kent Police has since stated that “Two men riding a pony trap were seen travelling on Rheims Way in Canterbury on the wrong side of the carriageway just after 8pm on Saturday 12 August 2017.

“Out of concern for the safety of the men, the horse and other road users, officers intervened in an attempt to speak to them, but they refused to stop and made abusive gestures.”

The spokesperson made it clear that the police officers chose to drive with their blue lights on, but without their sirens to avoid spooking the horse.

The statement continued: “Officers then tried to get the men to stop but they continued to refuse and rode on a pedestrian pathway into a residential estate. Officers are making enquires to trace the men as they would like to speak to them in connection with possible furious riding and public order offences.”

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Speaking to The Independent, a man who alleges he was one of the men caught on video but would like to remain anonymous said: “I wasn’t on the wrong side of the road at all, they were telling me to f***ing pull over and watch what’s going to happen."