Pictured: Blood-covered Household Cavalry horses run loose through central London

Five escaped Household Cavalry horses have run loose through central London after throwing their riders while exercising.

At least one soldier was injured after a spooked horse hit a number of vehicles.

Pictures show a soldier lying in the street receiving treatment outside the Clermont Hotel, in Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria.

A witness to the incident said a horse bolted across the street into a parked car before galloping away. Bystanders screamed and ran as the animal raced towards them, witnesses claimed.

Bashir Aden, 48, a construction worker, said: “I saw a soldier falling down into the street after the horse ran into a car. One of my colleagues called the police.

“The man hit the floor hard, he was screaming in pain. You could see blood all over the parked car.

“The horses come down this route every day, but today the horse looked stressed or panicked. I saw the horse run away after it hit a bus. People were screaming and running all over.”

Mr Aden, who lives in Canary Wharf, east London, said: “The injuries looked very serious he looked really hurt.”

The five horses bolted and threw their riders as the Household Cavalry, made up of the Lifeguards and Blues & Royals, was on its daily morning exercise on Horseguards Parade, Whitehall.

Amid extraordinary scenes, some of the horses were photographed charging through streets in Victoria and as far east as Aldwych.

Military sources said it was highly unusual for the Household Cavalry’s horses to be spooked in this way as they are well drilled and used to being close to traffic and large crowds.

A black horse was seen close to the incident in Victoria, and a silver Mercedes-Benz people carrier had suffered severe damage to its side panel with two of its rear windows smashed.

Buckingham Palace Road was closed following the incident with a cordon erected near the scene.

A blue tarpaulin tent was erected while ambulance workers attended to the injured serviceman.

Police were contacted for comment.

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