A BUNRT out vehicle has been found which is believed to be linked to an incident where 50 dead animals were dumped outside a village shop near Stockbridge.

As previously reported, the bodies of around 50 dead hares, as well as a barn owl and a kestrel, were found outside the Broughton Community Shop in High Street.

The police were called at 6.20am on Friday, March 15. A spokesperson has since given an update: "Officers investigating a number of dead animals left outside a shop in Broughton have located a burnt out Suzuki Grand Vitara which is believed to be linked to the incident.

READ MORE: Dozens of dead animals dumped outside village shop in Broughton

"We are still asking the public to send us CCTV or dash cam images of any cars matching this description seen in the Test Valley area around the time of the incident.

"Officers are following all possible lines of enquiry and will be in the area today to provide reassurance to local residents."

This is the second such an incident has happened following the dumping of dead animals in Awbridge last month.

Mike Hensman, the treasurer for the Broughton shop, said people have been left feeling shocked and very upset.

He said: "We are a local community shop and we are there to serve people we are not there to clear up dead animals that somebody else has put there."

He added: "People were traumatised about this but yet they came back, sorted it out and got the shop open in time to serve customers which is what we do.

It comes just a month after a deer, pheasants, and hares were among 25 carcasses left outside Awbridge Primary School, about five miles away.

Following the grisly discovery on Friday, February 9, a police investigation was launched.

However, police have since confirmed that the investigation has been put on hold due to a lack of lines of enquiry.

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A spokesperson said: “We made enquiries following an incident on Friday 9 February, when a number of dead animals had been found in Danes Road, Awbridge.

“There are no active lines of enquiry, and the case has been filed pending any further information becoming available.

“Officers from across the force, including our dedicated Country Watch team, take reports of rural crime very seriously.”

Anyone with information about the latest incident should call 101, quoting reference 44240111410

You can also report information online at hampshire.police.uk.