A billboard poster raising awareness of greyhound cruelty has been ripped down.

Caged Nationwide, a UK not for profit greyhound protection organisation, had put the poster up next to Watlington Road railway bridge in Oxford on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: Oxford Stadium managing director reveals more plans and insists greyhound racing is safe

But according to the group, within just hours the billboard had been vandalised. 

Rita James, founder of Caged Nationwide, said she thought the site was safe and that this was the first time one of its billboards had been vandalised outside of Ireland.

She said: "We are unaware of any previous vandalism on this particular site. Therefore we can only presume that the poster was targeted due to its content. 

This is Oxfordshire:

This is Oxfordshire: The billboard poster before it was ripped downThe billboard poster before it was ripped down

"We have used dozens of billboards to raise awareness of greyhound cruelty within the last decade, and they have all been situated in different regions across the UK, however this is the first time that we have chosen to place one in the vicinity of a Greyhound race track.

ALSO READ: Greyhound racing, Oxford Stadium: activists campaign against plans

"I believe we should have expected as much. 

"We are dismayed by the disgraceful behaviour of those involved with the vandalism, but we should make clear that this shall not deter us from running further campaigns in Oxford or anywhere else."

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on news@nqo.com or 01865 425 445.