AN Oxfordshire MP visited a racehorse trainer to talk about the challenges the industry faces.

North Oxfordshire MP Victoria Prentis met Paul Webber at his yard in Mollington, near Banbury.

Nationally the racing industry is worth £3.5 billion and employs 17,500 full-time staff.

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Smaller training establishments play a part in the local rural economy and Ms Prentis was pleased to see the care delivered by the dedicated stable staff that Mr Webber employs.

She said “It is clear the welfare of the horses is central to everything they do, and I look forward to reading the upcoming Horse Welfare Strategy report to see what the industry has planned.

"We have had some important discussion regarding the challenges the industry faces. In particular we discussed the need for a long-term solution to the issue of transporting horses and employing foreign workers post Brexit.”