A MUM and son are in mourning after their two prized ponies were killed in a suspected poisoning.

Police, the RSPCA and vets believe Zeus, 3, and Jacob, 27, were killed after the healthy pair collapsed within days of each other.

They had been in a field at the junction of Ashingdon Road and Canewdon Road, Ashingdon.

Frankie Mair, 11, who owned Zeus, is devastated. His mother, Zoe, said his world had fallen apart.

Mrs Mair, 38, of Stanley Road, Ashingdon, who had owned Jacob for 25 years, said: “I can’t get my head around who would kill a little boy’s pony. Zeus was his world.

“He had lots of plans for him. He was going to take him to agility classes and wanted to show him. He was the agewhere Frankie could start riding him and now someone has taken that away from him.

“I had Jacob since I was 11. He was my first and was part of my family.”

Zeus started losing weight rapidly on February 4. His heart started racing and he stopped drinking before he died two days later.

Then Jacob stopped eating, with Mrs Mair at first thinking he was grieving. But then he, too, had heart palpitations and died on February 11.

Now tests have come back confirming the deaths were suspicious, and after numerous checks of the field for poison, Mrs Mair has contacted police and is appealing for people to come forward with information.

She said: “They just lay down and went to sleep. We think it affected their kidneys.

“The vet identified it as poisoning.

The police took their symptoms to an agency and they thought it was suspicious.

We have checked the field and couldn’t find anything that could have poisoned them, so we are feeling someone may have put something in the water. They had all the signs of anti-freeze poisoning, although proving it is quite difficult.”

A police spokesman said: “Officers are awaiting further information regarding the cause of the deaths.”

An RSPCA spokesman said: “We are very sorry to hear about the deaths. It must have been very upsetting to lose two animals in such a short space of time.

“We ask anyone with any information, or evidence that an animal welfare offence has been committed, to call us on 0300 123 8018.”