TRAVELLERS at East Challow have defended themselves after police found 76 weapons during a raid on their caravan site.

Thirty officers found swords, knives and machetes at Woodhill Caravan Park, Woodhill Lane, in an early morning raid on Friday.

An air-powered firearm was also confiscated while it is tested to see if it is legal.

Police also called in the RSPCA to inspect 60 horses at the site. The results of the inspections have not been released.

Among the weapons found was a knife with a swastika on the handle, Samurai swords and double-bladed knives. All the weapons will be destroyed.

It was the second raid on the site this year, with the first taking place in January.

Last night, the Down family claimed they were being persecuted by the police and “just want to live like a normal family”.

Police strongly denied the family’s claims.

Alfie Down, 45, said: “We don’t deal in crime.

“The police came here and didn’t find anything they were looking for, just my brother’s collection of film prop swords.

“On Friday, male officers were going through my daughter-in-law’s underwear and throwing it on the floor, despite women officers being there, and made my grandchildren stand out in the cold.

“They ask me where I get the money from for our flashy cars, but we’ve just got a few pick-up trucks that were wedding presents and things like that.

“If they think I’m hiding millions from a drug empire, they clearly haven’t looked around here properly.”

The family have been at the site for 14 years. They can trace their roots back more than 100 years and have lived all over England.

Mr Down said he was upset at comments left by Internet users about his family in comments on stories on newspaper websites.

He said: “When I grew up, we travelled everywhere and had freedom, I think that way of life is dying and I just want to see my family integrate with the community.”

Chief Insp Andy Boyd strongly denied accusations of persecution and claimed the raids had produced results.

He said: “Following a rise in rural crime, we’ve been conducting operations in the Wantage and Faringdon area for several months. As a result of these operations, we’ve recovered several items of stolen plant machinery, numerous weapons, and arrested suspected offenders who have been charged. All police operations are intelligence-led.”