WITNEY’S ‘Croc Man’ Shaun Foggett is hoping to move his collections of crocodiles to a new home near Brize Norton.

Mr Foggett has submitted a planning application to convert buildings at Foxbury Farm, in Burford Road, into a visitor centre for his Crocodiles of the World sanctuary.

His 96-strong collection of crocodiles and alligators is currently housed at the Crawley Mill industrial estate, just north of Witney.

He says he needs to make the move “urgently” because 34 young Nile crocodiles will not have enough space at the premises in Crawley when they reach adult size.

Mr Foggett said: “I have been looking for a new place ever since we came here in 2011.

“Originally, I wrote to 45 or 50 landowners and estates to get the project off the ground and only got two replies.

“In the end I decided to look at industrial units to move the collection temporarily. But Crocodiles of the World was never meant to be what it is, at the end of an industrial estate.”

He can only open to the public at weekends – only winning the ability to open on Saturdays in April.

Mr Foggett added: “The costs of running and funding a reptile-specific collection is quite huge and we really need to be open seven days a week in order to continue.

“The new site is a much more suitable location for us.

“I think Foxbury is probably three times the size of what we have now, which means the animals can have more room, we can have a cafe, expand our souvenir shop and have a dedicated education room for schools, which is something we hugely miss at the moment.”

The planning application says the move would also allow Mr Foggett to expand his collection, with the possibility of bringing in saltwater crocodiles for the first time. The collection currently only features smaller freshwater crocodiles.

Converting the farm shop and agricultural building into the sanctuary is expected to cost a six-figure sum and would require fundraising, Mr Foggett said.

He said it could potentially open next year.