Police probe into cat poisonings

Police are investigating a possible spate of cat poisonings in a south Derbyshire town.

Pet owners say seven cats have died in the Valley Rise area of Swadlincote over the past three days.

They believe someone is deliberately poisoning the animals and residents say they are now keeping pets indoors for fear of more fatalities.

Officers said they were looking into the animal deaths and would be talking to residents later.

Community resolve

Victoria Holmes, who saw one of the animals die, said: "It's very suspicious really because you can understand one [dying] but seven in the last two or three days?

"I think someone is poisoning them. If they eat a rat that's been poisoned it will make them unwell but there has to be a lot of poison to actually kill a cat."

She said the community had joined together in an attempt to stop further incidents of harm.

"We've kept our cats in for the past two nights but how long do you keep a cat in for?" she said.

"We all know a cat is a hunter. They have to go out at night, that's what they do."