CAMPAIGNERS took to the street in the centre of Oxford to raise awareness about the abuse of people with learning disabilities.

Members of Oxfordshire charity My Life My Choice assembled in Cornmarket Street on Saturday to perform street theatre and ask shoppers to sign a petition.

The event was in response to abuse of patients at Bristol’s Winterbourne View hospital, exposed by an undercover reporter working for the BBC’s Panorama.

Undercover filming over five weeks showed some vulnerable patients being repeatedly physically and verbally abused at the hospital.

Campaigners said three people from Oxfordshire were housed at the unit, which has now closed.

Paul Scarrott, a trustee of My Life My Choice, said: “Our charity has 400 members and there has been widespread dismay and disgust at the way people with learning disabilities have been treated.

“We need to know why this happened and, above all, we need to make sure that this never happens again.

“The actions at Winterbourne View show that abuse, bullying, and hate crime are still a part of everyday life for many people with learning disabilities.”

A spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council said people were sometimes placed outside the county if they needed very specialist care.

Referring to Winterbourne View, he said: “All councils were deeply shocked at the allegations.

“The county council acted swiftly to support all relevant service users and their families.

“The Care Quality Commission, as the regulator, carried out a review into what is alleged to have happened.”

The council will study reviews as part of future service provision, but it said no concerns had been raised with it by South Gloucestershire Council – the safeguarding authority – or by the regulator, visiting staff, or users and their families.

Oxfordshire has to cut £37m from its £195m adult social care budget over the next four years.

Arash Fatemian, the cabinet member for adult social care, said: “It was necessary for all local authorities to look at how savings could be made when it became clear that funding from central government would be significantly reduced.”