A MAN accused of trying to feed a ham roll to police horses was yesterday found guilty of breach of the peace.

Police officers told Glasgow's Justice of the Peace Court that Francis Kelly tried to get the horses to eat a gammon roll despite being told not to, and that he shouted and swore.

The officers said they told Kelly the horses were vegetarian.

But Kelly, 41, of Govanhill, claimed that one of the horses stole a pastry from him as he patted it. He said he was walking down a lane when he stopped to clap one of the animals and it took the food out of his hand.

Kelly told the court he had not done anything wrong and the horse had taken a bite before anyone said anything. He claims he did not shout or swear.

But Justice of the Peace Eleanor Lafferty found Kelly guilty of the breach last September 26, in Glasgow. Kelly – who is in custody on another matter and unable to pay a fine –will serve seven days in prison for the offence.

PC Stewart Coulter told the court he and his colleague were in the lane when Kelly appeared. He said Kelly stood between his horse and his colleague's horse, with what he thought was a gammon roll.

PC Coulter said: "He had a gammon-type roll in his hand, he separated it in two bits and tried to simultaneously feed both horses."

The officer said he told Kelly: "They are vegetarian, they don't eat meat." He said Kelly was abusive and told him: "I will feed them what I want."

PC Coulter told the court that meat could make the horses ill.