HUNDREDS of people protesting against the closure of Oxford’s greyhound stadium have signed a petition against the move.

The community rallying to save Oxford Stadium, in Sandy Lane, launched an online petition on Monday, which has already attracted about 400 signatures.

It was announced last month that the 73-year-old stadium is to shut down on December 29.

Demonstrators are protesting against claims by the stadium owner, Greyhound Racing Association (GRA), that it is no longer viable to run. Galliard Homes want to build housing on the site.

GRA managing director Clive Feltham said the stadium could not be profitable after a contract for its large Friday daytime meeting “BAGS” was lost last month.

The rest of the BAGS meetings for the year have also now been scrapped. Already more than 3,200 people have joined the Facebook group campaign.

Gavin Beckley, a committee member for the Save Oxford Stadium campaign, said: “The petition is already hugely popular on social media because it is an important issue.

“It is the little things that people don’t even realise until they are gone which make such an important difference to the community. It is not only for people who go to watch greyhound racing at the stadium.

“It is used for speedway racing, a church group and a Taekwando club, which has nowhere else to go. It is vital. There are about 250 jobs which would be lost and 300 greyhounds who would need rehoming or moving if it closed.”

The petition aims to persuade Oxford City Council to reject any possible future plans to build homes on the site and GRA the stadium can be profitable.

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith is fully backing the campagn and helping the committee of 12 to organise the petition.

He said: “There is huge public support to save Oxford Stadium. It’s a great facility for the whole community.

“We need to get as many people as possible signed up in support of the campaign.

“Obviously we want to save the stadium, either by proving it can be more profitable or by persuading the owners to let someone else give it a go.”