A woman-rider suffered injuries when she fell off her horse on Frinton’s beach recently.

Both East Anglia ambulance service and the air ambulance were called out following the incident.

“We sent a rapid response vehicle and ambulance to the Esplanade on the beach at Frinton. The patient had fallen off the horse and the horse fell onto the patient. The patient is believed to be a female in her 20s,” said an East Anglia Ambulance spokesman.

“She was conscious and breathing and complaining of back pains and treated at the scene. She was then taken to Colchester Hospital but her injuries were not believed to be serious,” he said.

East Anglia Air Ambulance was also called to the scene at 6.09pm on Sunday July 31.

The incident has led to concerns from some Frinton residents about safety from the horses, who may leave a mess as they regularly exercise on the beach.

However, both Frinton and Walton Town Council and Tendring Council report no concerns have been received by them.

Frinton deputy-mayor Mayor Robert Bucke said often a dozen or so horses exercise at a time on the beach, but the town council was not aware of any problems caused by them.

Tendring Council cabinet member for commercialisation, Nick Turner, confirmed horses have used the beach for years and there is “no problem” if ridden responsibly.

But horses are not permitted on the greensward, he said.

The Frinton town and district councillor said the issue of horse mess is not the same as dogs’ mess and riders are not responsible for clearing it away in the same way as dog owners - and that is the case across the country.

“It is very different as horse mess is vegetable matter and on Frinton beach it would be removed twice a day by the tide,” he said.

Tendring Council’s seafront teams also remove any horse mess that is reported or spotted by them as part of their duties.