Badger and 'mutilated' deer's head found on 'satanic' symbol in Totton

Shocked students at Hounsdown School made the grisly discovery at an underpass in Spicers Hill.

The badger was found on Monday while the deer's head was discovered on Friday in what has been called a 'satanic' killing.

One resident said: "The discovery of a deceased badger, placed upon a pentagram, surrounded by leaves and consequently blood, shocked many Hounsdown School students on Monday morning before school, left students shaken up.

"However, this isn’t the only incident of this satanic ritual as it is said that, on Friday morning, a mutilated deer head was discovered in the same place in similar circumstances.

"Is this quiet neighbourhood having deals with the devil?

"And the lingering question running through all student’s heads - who is doing this? And what’s next?"

Totton Police's Sgt James Blachford said: “We completely understand that these incidents will have provoked a reaction in the local community – especially given incidents of this nature have occurred previously across the Forest.

The badger

“The location of the incident suggests that this was a deliberate act in which to shock the local community as it was placed on a very public area and well-used route.

“We have conducted a number of initial enquiries, including high-visibility proactive patrols as well as house-to-house visits and scoping possible CCTV opportunities.

“There is nothing to suggest at this time that the animals were killed deliberately, nor any evidence at the scene that a ritual had taken place.”

The underpass

Police have been working with the district council since the incidents to ensure animals can be “humanely dispatched,” a spokesperson said.

Totton councillor, David Harrison, said he first became aware of the incident when a resident contacted him. 

He explained that the council's street cleaning team then acted "quickly" to clear the "unpleasant" site. 

He said: "The people that are doing this are doing so to cause a bit of a public outrage.

"It is probably very immature people. Clearly they weren’t thinking about the distress it could cause because the under pass is on a school road."

Anyone with information should call police on 101 quoting 44220204768.

In 2019 sheep were found fatally stabbed in the New Forest.

They had been marked with pentagrams on their faces and bodies.

At the time, the RSPCA said it was very concerned about the death of the sheep.