Doglost Oxfordshire reports 'dead puppy' at Bicester Park and Ride as travellers move to Harwell Campus

A DEAD puppy and two dogs with sores on their skin were reportedly recovered at Bicester Park and Ride after travellers moved on.

Travellers left the car park in the early hours of Saturday morning [April 14] and caravans have since set up at the playing field outside Harwell Science and Innovation Campus.

It is not known if they are the same group that left the park and ride.

Residents said police were patrolling the site and officers told Harwell workers the group plan to move on this morning. 

Hannah Jones, a spokeswoman for Thames Valley Police, said: "Officers are aware of an unauthorised encampment at Harwell Campus in Library Avenue, and are engaging with those who are present.

"Officers have also been in liaison with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC)."

The CNC is a specialist armed police service tasked with protecting the civil nuclear industry, and has a base at Harwell. 

Scores of caravans turned up at the site near Chilton overnight, making the field the latest in a string of Oxfordshire locations to be occupied.

The playing field at Harwell Campus. Pic: Google Maps

Lisa West, area coordinator for Doglost Oxfordshire, said a dead lurcher puppy was found at the car park in Bicester as well as a young whippet with mange, and a springer spaniel so weak it had to be carried to a vet.

She said a passerby raised the alarm about the abandoned dogs on Facebook at about 1am.

Miss West posted an urgent appeal on the Doglost group asking if anyone nearby could assist.

The mum-of-one added: "One girl found the little whippet riddled with mange and another lady and her husband managed to gain the trust of the spaniel.

"He needed to be lifted, as he was so weak. 

"She went back to check the site and came across the body of a dear sweet puppy lurcher, laying stretched out. She was covered in a pink blanket.

"She was in the mud on the other side of the fencing, next to a big pile of rubbish on the park and ride side of the fence."

Miss West said the two other dogs were taken to a vet and are receiving treatment. 

Above: The spaniel rescued at Bicester Park and Ride this morning

Referring to the spaniel, she added: "He seemed like he just needed a bath and his sores looking after.

"He was a good weight, just tired and had given up a bit."

She said she was "eternally grateful" to the supporters who helped to recover the dogs.

A spokeswoman for Friends, Families and Travellers, a charity representing the travelling community, declined to comment and noted there was no evidence that travellers left the dogs. 

Images posted on Facebook by Andrew Mcloughlin show parts of the Bicester car park littered with empty plastic bottles, bedding and an empty animal hutch.

For the past week bus company Stagecoach had stopped its S5 service from serving the park and ride, but confirmed today it is running its normal service again.

Travellers have been setting up home at park and ride sites in the county for several months.

Councils have had to pay more than £10,000 in that time to pay for court orders and clean-up operations. 

Earlier this month Friends, Families and Travellers pointed to a "chronic national shortage of traveller sites".

It said the behaviour of a minority of travellers had led to "hate speech" and discrimination against the wider community.

According to residents, rubbish has been left strewn across Bicester Park and Ride.

As of this morning, bollard pulled put and brick torn from parking spaces - plus bin bags and litter ruining the green areas. A real shame. Anything @ThamesVP can do? It's been ongoing for a week and causing damage to a public space.

— Peter Clarke (@inplaceapart) April 13, 2018