A COUPLE are claiming £200,000 in compensation for a fire which killed a young horse.

Retired engineer Frank White and wife Anne have launched a legal battle in the High Court over a blaze at their stables next to their home in Church Road, Billericay, in August 2004.

They claim hay sold to them by LR & Sons, an agricultural suppliers firm based in Laindon Common Road, Billericay, was of poor quality and started a fire when it spontaneously combusted in their barn.

The couple say it destroyed outhouses which cost £116,000 to rebuild, and equipment and hay valued at about £10,000. Firefighters rescued four horses, but two died.

One was being looked after at the stables for a friend, but the other was a four-year-old brown mare reared by the Whites, called Liberty.

The three-day eventer was valued at £25,000 and had recently achieved the highest ever qualifying score at a national championships. She was killed shortly before she was due to compete in the final.

Mrs White, who has run the stud farm for 30 years, told the Echo: “She was reared here by a stallion called Warlock and she was a very promising young horse.”

Jerry Nathan, the solicitor acting on behalf of the Whites, said: “It is fairly common in the agricultural fraternity and insurance world for damp hay to ignite, and that is what has happened here with dreadful consequences.”

Neil Ashford, a Southampton-based solicitor representing LR & Sons, said: “We are contesting their claim, but we do not feel it would be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”