AN EXTRA set of hooves will soon be patrolling the streets of Gloucestershire, and police want the public to give their latest recruit a name.

As part of the ongoing mounted unit trial, which began earlier this year, Gloucestershire Police has a new horse who will join colleagues Boris and Huntsman after undergoing the necessary training.

People can vote on his new name through the Mounted Unit's Twitter account @GlosHorsePol.

The unit was unveiled in March, then just consisting of Boris and Huntsman, both former Metropolitan Police horses, and there have been plans to add new horses since the launch.

Police have said the main reasons for bringing the horses to the area are to keep the peace in busy city and town centres and prevent anti-social behaviour.

The mounted unit patrolled the streets of Lechlade for a few days in June, following a series of arson attacks in the town, kicking off first of a series of stints in various Cotswold towns.

The introduction of the two police horses raised a few eyebrows due to the hefty £175,000 price tag, while Gloucestershire only had one officer trained to ride at the time.

The decision followed a trial held in Cirencester, the first time police horses had been present in the town since World War Two, by Oxford University in 2014 which found the public was six times more likely to engage with officers if they were on horseback.

The unit is housed at Highnam Court and will be posted across the Gloucestershire policing zones for six week stints.

Police said the main reasons for bringing the horses to the area will be to keep the peace in busy city and town centres on Friday and Saturday nights and prevent anti-social behaviour.

This weekend also saw Boris and Huntsman performing in a special display at the Constabulary's Open Day on Saturday (September 17).

Those in attendance also got the chance to enjoy displays from police dogs, as well as roads policing and firearms demonstrations.

What’s more, there were a series of lectures to give the public an insight into the unseen aspects of policing including forensics, intelligence, cyber-crime and child protection.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, the Army and the Royal Military Police were also involved on the day.

Speaking prior to the event, Chief Constable Suzette Davenport said: "This is the third year we have run the Open Day and every year it gets bigger and better with more and more people coming to see what we do.

“This year we’re really excited about our new lecture zone where you can hear from the officers themselves about some of the more hidden but fascinating elements of policing.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire, Martin Surl said: “In these difficult and dangerous times, our officers and staff are truly grateful for the interest and support of the people of Gloucestershire.

“The relationship between police and public is a vital one and we hope that inviting the public to see the range of responsibilities we have and the extent of services we provide, will not only maintain that connection but also help foster an even better understanding”.