The horses of the King’s Troop have been trusted with Britain’s most important state events – including the funeral of Queen Elizabeth two years ago.
But the ceremonial regiment, which is based off Woolwich Common, has been leaving a trail of damage in the quiet streets of Shooters Hill, according to a former Greenwich Council leader.
Danny Thorpe told a council meeting last week that the horses have been damaging cars on residential streets in the area – with one resident waiting a year for the Army to settle a compensation claim.
Thorpe said the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery should be banned from residential streets until their use of the borough’s roads was reviewed, and that Averil Lekau, the council’s deputy leader, should meet the troop commander to “convey our expectation on how residents should be treated when something goes wrong”.
The troop moved to Woolwich from St John’s Wood in 2012 and have become a familiar sight in the area as the horses are exercised in surrounding streets.
Its responsibilities include firing royal salutes and taking part in state events such as Trooping the Colour. Two years ago its horses pulled the late Queen’s coffin at her funeral.
Thorpe said in a written question: “I have received reports from a number of residents in Shooters Hill about damage to their property by the horses. In one case, the resident has been waiting more than a year to be compensated for the damage, and I have made enquiries which have been seemingly ignored.”
Lekau said it was not possible to stop the troop from using the public highway, but added: “We will contact them to get a better understanding of their routes, travel requirements and plans and assist in agreeing a preferred route, where possible.”
But Thorpe, who was council leader for four years until 2022, was not happy with the response, and wanted Lekau to commit herself to being personally involved.
“The King’s Troop, whilst we all love them very much and see them parading around and take part in national events, are a partner of ours,” he said. “In terms of how partners behave, I think we would accept that in the examples we’ve got from residents, it really isn’t good enough.
“I wrote to the troop commander on June 8. I haven’t even had an acknowledgement of that email, let alone a reply.”
Lekau said: “Obviously this is something that we all take really seriously. There are certain powers we have and others that we don’t have.
“I’m flattered to hear that you think might have some influence, but I’ll use whatever that influence is as a partner to have conversations on behalf of our residents. But I think it’s important for us to have as much information as possible and some kind of evidence so that we can take that to the table.”
The Ministry of Defence told The Greenwich Wire: “The matters raised are currently being looked into, so we won’t comment further at this time.”
Most of Woolwich Barracks is slated for closure in 2028, but the King’s Troop is due to remain, keeping a link with the military that goes back centuries.
Three years ago, the troop’s horses ran amok in Charlton Park after being spooked by a motorist sounding their car horn. Six people were taken to hospital.