A group of teens who "viciously attacked" a cat with a catapult in Harold Hill "need to be caught", says an animal charity volunteer.

Police received a report on November 15 that a group of youths fired a catapult at a cat in the Chippenham Road area - in what Harold Hill Deer Aid has called a "deliberate" and "vicious" attack.

Volunteers from Harold Hill Deer Aid and cat rescue charity Pippa's Army say they have seen CCTV footage showing three teenagers firing three shots from a catapult at a cat - with two shots directly hitting the animal.

Shantel Cook, a volunteer from Harold Hill Deer Aid, told the Recorder: "The owners saw the CCTV themselves and realised that their cat had been quite viciously attacked.

"The video is absolutely heartbreaking.

"You see them [the group of youths] fire the first one, laugh and then run off.

"But then a few seconds later they come back because they realise the cat is still sat there - and they have not hurt it enough.

"They fire the second one, which misses, and the third one, which is a direct hit, and that is what makes the cat run."

Shantel added: "They do need to be caught and they need to be stopped - 100 per cent."

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The Recorder understands that the cat's treatment at the vets is ongoing, and the Met Police has confirmed that there have been no arrests yet, with enquiries continuing into the incident.

Shantel said there have been reports online of groups of teenagers doing this "regularly".

She urged pet owners in the area to "be vigilant" and report it if anything does happen to their pets.

Shantel said: "The more people that report these acts the more the police are going to be able to do something."

The Recorder also contacted Pippa's Army for comment.

Anyone with information or footage of this incident can contact the police on 101, quoting crime reference number CAD 2015/15 Nov24.