A CRIMINAL investigation has been launched after the remains of a fallow deer entangled in an illegal snare were discovered in woodland near Minehead. Two women walkers came across the grisly scene near a footpath in the Crown Estate-owned Dunster Woods. The deer is said to have been caught tightly around its neck and is believed to have strangled itself to death as it struggled to escape. Two other deer skulls were found close to the remains. The women reported the discovery to both the League Against Cruel Sports and Avon and Somerset police. Paul Tillsley, head of investigations at the league, said the snare was made of multi-strand wire, similar to that used for fox snares. One end of the device was tied to a tree and the loop set in a gap in a hedge. Mr Tillsley said that, unlike snares set to catch foxes, deer snares were illegal under the Deer Act 1991. "The fact that this snare was secured high in a tree with a loop across a large gap in the hedge suggests it was deliberately set for deer, which is a criminal offence," he said. "The two nearby skulls would also support this theory." Mr Tillsley said a 'high seat', typically used to shoot deer from, was also found 50 metres away from the snare. A spokesman for the Crown Estate said the report of an illegal snare in Dunster Woods was being looked into. "We would encourage anyone with information to contact us," he said. "As a substantial landowner in the local area, we work closely with the police to provide support in tackling this kind of rural crime." An Avon and Somerset police spokesman said the force had only just been made aware of the incident but believed it had happened about four weeks ago. "We have opened a crime report and we will be making enquiries," he said. Anyone with information should contact Minehead police station on the non-emergency police number 101. The league is currently campaigning for a complete ban on the manufacture, sale and use of wildlife snares in England and Wales and almost 63,000 people have so far signed a petition in support of the charity's action.