A bizarre "protest" involving a horse and cart brought traffic to a standstill in Croydon town centre.

The horse-drawn carriage, carrying a man and a boy, blocked traffic in High Street for about 20 minutes before being moved on by police yesterday afternoon.

The man reportedly told nonplussed bystanders he was protesting, although there were conflicting accounts of his grievances.

Lucas Maxted, 22, assistant manager at the nearby Playnation Games, said: "We were just at work and we noticed there was bit of a commotion outside. 

"We stepped outside and there was a carriage with horse just standing there, not budging at all. There were buses going up Park Street that were completely stuck. They were there for about 20 minutes as traffic piled up, people telling them to move, and the horse just wasn't budging."

Daniel Grossett, 33, who owns the shop, said: "It was quite a sight.

"People were asking him what his problem was and he was shouting, 'They won't let me bring my horse on the road.' It seemed like his main concern was he wasn't usually allowed to bring his horse on the high street."

He added: "There was a huge back up of buses all the way up Park Street, right the way up to the Sainsbury's. It was a very odd afternoon."

Another bystander posted on Twitter the man claimed to be protesting about "the bloody awful local parking", but later added: "Turns out he was telling people different reasons for his protest."

The man is said to have told another curious onlooker: "I'm protesting about how shit Croydon is. It's shit."

But Mr Maxted said he thought the horse simply "froze up" and refused to move. He said he later saw the man, who headed towards South Croydon when police moved him on, giving people rides in the cart.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed officers were called at 4.16pm yesterday to "reports of a man on a horse and cart causing issues with the traffic".

He added: "Officers attended and spoke with the man who moved on from the location."

No arrests were made and no criminal offences were alleged.

Are you the man in the horse-drawn cart? Do you know him? Call the newsdesk on 0208 722 6351 or email chris.baynes@london.newsquest.co.uk