THE dilapidated Oxford stadium is at risk of being lost for good unless action is ramped up to reopen it, campaigners have warned.

After a more than five year battle to bring greyhound racing and speedway back to Blackbird Leys, residents have spoken of their frustration at feeling 'no further forward' in their mission.

A report released by Oxford City Council in March found there was a business case to bring back the sports to the famous site in Sandy Lane.

But campaigners say they have heard little from the council since then and are concerned the people responsible for developing the case for the stadium 'don’t know what’s going on.'

Mick Wheble MBE, a spokesman for the Save our Stadium group, said it was now prepared to hold protests outside the council offices unless more is done soon.

A greyhound commentator who worked in the industry for 40 years, Mr Wheble added: "We all thought establishing a business case would be the last step before obtaining a compulsory purchase order to wrestle back control of the site.

"We couldn’t have wished for a more favourable report, it was a big hurdle to overcome and we were assuming a CPO would follow.

“We are totally and utterly fed-up by the lack of action since then.

"Something has to happen this year or we will kick up a stink.

“If action is not taken, we will have to take action."

When the feasibility study was published earlier this year, the council said it had commissioned a second report to look at how to convince the current owners of the site, Cowley Property Investments Ltd, to sell.

This report, which is also due to look at options for investment, was due to be released this summer but no further details have since emerged.

In an attempt to reassure campaigners a letter by council leader Susan Brown, seen by the Oxford Mail, said she 'remains committed to the position that the Oxford Stadium has a viable future as a leisure and sporting site.'

But she added that there was currently 'little prospect' of a successful attempt to compulsory purchase the land until further studies are completed as a case has to be made that this would be 'overwhelmingly in the public interest.'

A policy statement detailing the council's position will be published later this year, according to Ms Brown.

But Ian Sawyer, the chairman of Save our Stadium, said that more urgency is needed.

Although there is currently still enthusiasm for the cause, he fears it will get harder and harder to re-open the stadium, the longer it stays shut.

He said: "We are in a position where we feel we have done everything we can.

"We are as committed as we always have been but there's a new generation growing up in the city who have never seen speedway or greyhound racing in Oxford and that is a major worry.

"We want the council to show us that they do believe it can come back and they are serious about making that happen."

The future of the site, which has hosted greyhound racing and speedway since 1939, has been up in the air since the last race was held in 2012.

It was set to be bulldozed for housing but then owners the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) were refused permission in 2014.

Despite various bidders coming forward, the owners have shown no desire to sell and a CPO has long been considered as the only option to resolve the impasse.

Mr Wheble, who has been involved for the entirety of the campaign, said it has had support from people across Oxfordshire and Government.

He said: “There are 4,500 people on our lists who all want it to re-open including many who live nearby.

"It would be the only one in the area and would be an excellent business.

“As soon as we get our hands on it, there would be 500 volunteers willing to work on the site for free. It would only take two months to get it up to a state where it’s ready to re-open."

Oxford City Council were contacted for comment.