Arrest made in connection with cat killings across UK
POLICE hunting the person who has been mutilating and killing cats in west London and other parts of the country have made an arrest.
Officers in Northamptonshire arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of carrying out cat mutilations and arsons.
He was arrested after five cats from Northampton had their heads cut off before being left for their owners or members of the public to find.
The killings are being investigated in connection with similar cases across the country as part of a Metropolitan Police probe, reports the Bristol Post.
One year-old Rusty was left in a plastic bag on the owner’s doorstep in August and was discovered by the family’s 14-year-old daughter.
The mutilated remains of 15-year-old Topsy were then found outside its owners house in a carrier bag in September, a day after it went missing.
Two more unnamed cats were found in October, before the headless body of a decapitated cat was found on top of its owner’s car in November.
Police believe one person has been killing and mutilating hundreds of cats across the country since October 2015, when the first mutilated pets were found in Croydon.
The Met and SNARL (South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty) say more than 400 animals, including rabbits, foxes and deer, have been killed in this manner since 2015. The killer has been prolific in London and the south-east and carried out attacks in the likes of Northolt , Hayes and Kingston.
An RSPCA spokesman said: “The RSPCA takes all calls about animal welfare very seriously and there is a dedicated team continuing to work closely with the police, who are leading on this matter.
“We continue to look into all evidence given to us surrounding cat deaths to see if there is deliberate cruelty involved.
Metropolitan Police’s Det Sgt Andy Collin has previously said that the killer could begin targeting humans if they stop getting gratification from mutilating animals.