Accrington cat shooting 'may be linked' to Oswaldtwistle attack

The ginger tabby was shot in the head and had to have a pellet extracted from its nose

A cat has been shot and seriously injured in Lancashire days after a similar shooting that left the pet needing to have a leg amputated.

The cat, called Rufus, was shot in the head in Accrington and taken to a vet by a member of the public.

The shooting, on 20 April, came days after a cat was shot six times at close range in neighbouring Oswaldtwistle.

The RSPCA said officers were "investigating the possibility that the cases are linked".

A spokesman for the charity said the cat had been found coughing up blood, dizzy and disorientated and had had a "rusty metal gun pellet" extracted from its nose.

He added that the ginger tabby was still recovering from an infection and receiving regular treatment from a vet.

Insp Katherine Newman said such attacks "highlight the need for tighter controls on air weapons".