The home of animal loving 101-year-old Ron Green, patron of Camp Beagle, was visited by police hunting for five beagles taken from MBR Acres by activists.

Camp Beagle, based outside the MBR site at Wyton, allege five police officers took part in the hunt for the missing dogs.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police would simply confirm that “officers visited this address in connection with ongoing inquiries into the theft of dogs from MBR Acres on Monday.”

Mr Green lives in Hertfordshire and was made patron following a visit to the protest site earlier this year.

He has since attended a rally in Cambridge and also re-visited the protestors at Wyton.

Last November, on his 101st birthday, he raised £16,000 for a Norfolk animal sanctuary after inviting donations rather than present.

“Thanking you in the spirit of love and compassion for all humanity and the animal kingdom,” he said at the time.

Camp Beagle, in a Facebook post, claimed the police visit to Ron followed public postings of the five ‘liberated’ beagles in new homes, one home showing a red carpet with a beagle sitting on it.

“They wanted to check if Ron had a red carpet,” says Camp Beagle.

"Cambridgeshire Police, how low can you go? Wasting police resources into investigating something which the vast majority of people would see as a commendable honest act of loving kindness.

“And trying to pick on a 101-year-old Second World War hero...picking on our Ron.

“The family were left worried and anxious after they left.”

Camp Beagle added: “You just couldn't make it up... Ron is as delighted as the rest of us about the five puppies being liberated.”

The fate of the stolen beagles prompted a surprise development on Tuesday night when three men posted photos of themselves at a police station.

The police spokesperson said: “All we can confirm is that the three men you have named were arrested at Thorpe Wood Police Station on Monday.

“We wouldn’t go into further detail given proceedings are active, as to confirm they handed themselves in could be seen to imply guilt.”

Earlier in the day it was revealed 12 people have been charged with burglary after two break-ins at the MBR research facility which saw five dogs taken.

Cambridgeshire Police said officers were called to reports of a burglary at MBR Acres in Wyton at 5am on Sunday, then again at 3am on Monday to reports of a burglary and dogs being taken.

The force said that the dogs taken from the facility, which breeds animals for research, have yet to be recovered.

Twelve people, aged between 20 and 52, have been charged with burglary and appeared at Cambridge Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, police said.

A barrister representing MBR Acres gave details of the alleged incident during a hearing in relation to a separate matter at the High Court on Monday.

Caroline Bolton said that five dogs had been taken after a number of protesters broke into a site.

MBR Acres has taken High Court action in the wake of anti-vivisection protests at the Wyton site, and a judge has made an injunction preventing protesters entering an exclusion zone.

Protests at the site hit the headlines in November after singer Will Young was involved in a demonstration.