THE head of a traveller family claims they are being persecuted by the police after 76 weapons were found during a raid at their caravan site.

Thirty officers found swords, knives and machetes at Woodhill Caravan Park, in Woodhill Lane, East Challow, near Wantage, during an early morning raid last Friday.

An air rifle was also confiscated while it is tested to see if it is legal and police called the RSPCA to inspect 60 horses at the site. The results of the inspections have not been released.

Among the weapons, all of which will be destroyed, was a knife with a swastika on the handle, Samurai swords and double-bladed knives.

Last night the Down family claimed they were being harassed by police and “just want to live like a normal family”.

Police denied the persecution claims and said they were trying to crack down on crime.

Alfie Down, 45, said: “We don’t deal in crime.

“Police came here and didn’t find anything they were looking for, just my brother’s collection of film prop swords.

“On Friday, male officers were going through my daughter-in-law’s underwear and throwing it on the floor, despite women officers being there, and made my grandchildren stand out in the cold.

“They ask me where I get the money from for our flashy cars but we’ve just got a few pick-up trucks that were wedding presents and things like that.

“If they think I’m hiding millions from a drug empire they clearly haven’t looked around here properly.”

The family have been at the site for 14 years. They can trace their roots back over 100 years and have lived all over England.

Mr Down added he was upset at comments left by Internet users about his family on stories on the Oxford Mail’s website.

He said: “I don’t mind being called a gipsy or a traveller because that’s what I am, but when they write things like pikey or diddycoy I take offence.

“When I grew up we travelled everywhere and had freedom, I think that way of life is dying and I just want to see my family integrate with the community.”

Chief Insp Andy Boyd strongly denied the accusations of persecution. He said: “Following a rise in rural crime we’ve been conducting operations in the Wantage and Faringdon area for several months.

“All police operations are intelligence-led and we will continue to pursue those involved in crime from all sections of the community.”