Animal cruelty increases in Britain

A British animal charity, the RSPCA, says cruelty to animals in Britain has reached record levels.

It says much of the abuse is carried out by children and is sponsoring a new study to find out why.

Cases highlighted by the RSPCA included a kitten who was killed by being put in a microwave by its teenage owner and a cat who was set on fire by a schoolboy.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service