Rock is used in crowd control

Rock, the longest serving horse in South Wales Police's mounted section, will be brought to help control the crowds at the Worthington Cup final between Liverpool and Manchester United on Sunday.

The 14-year-old French Percheron who weighs just under a tonne and stands at 18 hands tall - or six foot up to his withers - is the lead horse for the force.

He has been there since the department, based in Bridgend, was set up 10 years ago.

"Rock is as bomb proof as a horse can be," said Police Sergeant Andy Morris, his rider.

"He is very calm - I can fire a starting pistol while sitting on his back and he won't flinch.

Sergeant Andy Morris has ridden Rock for 10 years

"We use the horses to control football crowds because we have a much better view of what is going on while sitting on a horse.

"The horses have got to be calm and we train them to get used to loud noises and not to react to things they would normally flee from.

"A horse's natural reaction is to flee but we train them to stand there and face it.

"Rock is very good at doing that and he just loves being a police horse," said Sgt Morris.

Rock is one of nine horses owned by South Wales Police - the only force in Wales to have a mounted section

"We are often borrowed by the other police forces in Wales and sometimes travel even further," said Sgt Morris.

"Any job that we think a police horse can do - we will try.

Rock even helped solve a murder investigation about eight years ago Sgt Andy Morris, South Wales Police

"We do patrols in Cardiff International Airport, we patrol the city centres and housing estates and we do the bigger events like the Labour Party Conference.

"We also search for missing persons and look for stolen property that has been dumped.

"Rock even helped solve a murder investigation about eight years ago.

"It was a very hot day and we were searching for the clothes of a murder victim who had been stripped.

"Rock and I came across a pond which I took him to to try and cool his feet off when he suddenly started stamping his feet and the clothes that we were looking for floated to the surface," he said.

Nuisance training

Sgt Morris and Rock are preparing for the match on Sunday by taking part in public order and nuisance training.

"During the football matches, the horses are given special eye and nose guards and have pads around their legs to protect them form injury," said Sgt Morris.

"When trouble flares up often the horses can get kicked by fans, and stones and coins are also thrown at the officers and horses.

"Rock is the most experienced horse we have and I am sure he will do a great job on Sunday," added Sgt Morris.