Witness Wayne Elsey said the police horses were not under full control

Wayne Elsey said he witnessed the horses "gallop" past him moments before fellow Swansea City FC fan, Terry Coles, 42, was hit and fatally injured outside Rotherham United's Millmoor ground on May 6, 2000.

He said: "When Terry fell to the floor, the horse moved forward and then the horse trod on Terry with its hoof."

He added: "If they were in control of the horses, no-one would have been hurt."

Mr Elsey, of Zouch Street, Manselton, Swansea, was giving evidence on the fourth day of the Doncaster inquest about the death which happened when Swansea fans travelled to South Yorkshire for a crucial Division Three championship decider between the two clubs.

The horse appeared to lose its footing and was thrashing with its back legs to try to find ground Witness Richard Evans

He said he was about 15 metres away from the father-of-two when the mounted officers decided to move in after trouble broke out between opposing fans with missiles being thrown.

When asked if the thought the police officers were in control of their mounts, he said: "In my opinion, I would say not."

The inquest jury heard parts of a statement Mr Elsey had made to police three years ago in which he described the speed of the horses at the time as like a horse at the beginning of a race.

Terry Coles was approaching the ground when he was fatally injured

But when questioned by Paul Greaney - representing the mounted police officer - Mr Elsey admitted that his only experience of horses was through betting on races.

Another Swansea fan, firefighter Richard Evans, from the Townhill area, said Mr Coles had been crouching and was in the process of standing up when the horse hit him.

He said: "My speculation is that other people heard what was going on and Terry Coles did not."

Mr Evans, who said he did no know Mr Coles, added: "The horse appeared to lose its footing and was thrashing with its back legs to try to find ground."

Previously the court in Doncaster heard in a statement from Detective Constable Brian Crossland that CCTV footage clearly showed Mr Coles and other Swansea fans throwing objects into the stadium.

One of group who had travelled up to the game in a minibus with Mr Coles, a drayman for Bass Brewers in Swansea, said late man had drunk up to 12 cans of lager on the journey.