VILLAGERS condemned the 'carnage' of a cull after dead rabbits were left to rot in a popular park.

Residents in Great Haseley were disgusted to discover bloodied rabbits littering their recreation ground, which is frequented by dog walkers and children.

The animals were gassed to reduce 'trip hazard' and stop them chomping on crops, but carcasses were reportedly abandoned on the grass for more than a week.

Villager Kay Anderson said she was grateful her four grandchildren did not stumble upon the 'disturbing' scene.

The 48-year-old said: "My six-year-old granddaughter loves to walk there and see rabbits bopping about; she would have been absolutely mortified if she'd seen them lying there dead.

"If they've been gassed they might pose a risk to dogs and other animals, and children. We live in such a pretty village and people appear to be trashing it."

Killing wild rabbits is not illegal - in fact laws dictate land owners must control population through gassing, trapping, ferreting or even shooting the animals.

Legislation does not require rabbits to be cleared after a cull.

Pest control signs photographed at the field in Thame Road suggest the cull finished in the first week of March, but residents said rabbits were still lying out in the open on Sunday.

Wildlife campaigner Penny Little claimed dozens of rabbits had been killed in the cull, which she branded ‘outright carnage’.

The Great Haseley resident said: “It’s such a ghastly thing – it’s downright cruel, they should let foxes and buzzards keep rabbit numbers at a natural balance.”

Mrs Little said she was ‘horrified’ that hedgerow bordering the field had been hacked down to access rabbits' warrens.

She said: “It’s extremely upsetting. One of the trees was a joy to behold. It looked like it had dollops of cream on, it was so covered in blossom. It provided a feast for the birds. It’s absolute vandalism.”

Villager Anna Taylor added: "It seems drastic - habitats have been destroyed and wildlife pushed out. The hedge had blueberries, blackberries, redcurrants and brambles."

The field is owned by Great Haseley Parish Council, which gave neighbouring farmers permission to arrange the cull.

Parish council chairman David Simcox said: "Farmers asked if we would cooperate with their attempts to reduce the considerable damage being caused to their crops by rabbits. Knowing the damage caused to the playing field by rabbits and the trip hazards they cause, the council agreed.

"To allow the specialist contractor access to some of the rabbit burrows, it was necessary to clear out obstructing undergrowth."

It is understood that the rabbits have since been removed.