MORE than 70 rabbits were confiscated in a raid on a Hampshire home by the RSPCA and environmental health officers.

They removed the animals from hutches belonging to Southampton rabbit enthusiasts Dawn and Pete Bundy after neighbours alerted authorities.

Officers removed 73 rabbits - worth about £3,000 - from the backyard of their house in Maplin Road, Millbrook, on the advice of a vet, who described their living conditions as "completely inappropriate".

But the couple, who breed the specialist dwarf lop, German lop, silver fox and satin rabbits to show at events, insist that the animals were well cared for.

The RSPCA and Southampton City Council's environmental health department spent several hours removing the animals.

Environmental health officer Ralph Walling said: "We've examined the animals and removed some of them on the advice of a vet. "

It would be unwise to say any more because we are gathering evidence of criminal offences."

The vet, who did not want to be named, added: "These animals are living in completely inappropriate conditions.

Rabbits are supposed to be able to run around and hop about.

These are s h owing none of the normal behavioural signs."

RSPCA spokesman Jo Barr said she was unable to say whether there would be a prosecution.

Mr Bundy, a warehouse worker, said: "We were visited by the RSPCA 13 months ago.

Everything was fine apart from we had to clean a few of the hutches but that's normal with the amount of rabbits we have. "

Suddenly last week they came back.

We refused to let them in so they obtained a warrant."

Then they turned up and started taking rabbits away."

The 52-year-old added: "They say the hutches are too small but there's no regulation size.

"Because we breed and show the rabbits, they're kept in smaller hutches - otherwise the smaller rabbits grow too big."

Mrs Bundy, 47, said: "I'm devastated.

We're members of the British Rabbit Council and we know a lot more about rabbits than the normal person in the street.

We don't know w h a t ' s going to happen to them now, or even w h e t h e r we'll see them again. "

They're worth so much to us in love and companionship - more than money can buy."