Police investigate cat shootings in Melton

Owners contacted officers after distressing incidents in Willoughby Close, Queensway, Nottingham Road and Cedar Drive in the last couple of weeks.

Niamh Middleton and her partner, Jake, are angry at what she called a ‘vile’ act after their beloved two-year-old, Timothy, suffered a serious stomach wound after being shot in the Queensway area.

They noticed the young cat came back in last Wednesday with appeared to be a large cut on his tummy – they took him to a local vet who later confirmed the wound had come from a shot from an air rifle-style gun.

"I was really upset and my partner was very angry,” Niamh told the Melton Times.

"It’s really vile to do that to someone’s pet. We are both teenagers and this has cost £700 in vet’s bills which is a lot of money to us.”

A spokesperson for Melton’s neighbourhood policing area said: “We are carrying out increased proactive patrols following a number of reports of cats being shot in and around Melton.

"On Tuesday April 19, a report was received that a cat had been shot, with what is believed to be, an air rifle in the area of Willoughby Close on either April 16 or 17 and was seriously injured.

"We understand there may have been two other incidents around the same time, in Nottingham Road and Cedar Drive.

"Such incidents are taken extremely seriously and we’re asking our communities to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities or further incidents to us."