Police have labelled the person who left a ‘gin trap’ out in Earls Barton as barbaric, after a cat was found with its leg stuck in the illegal device.
Officers are appealing for witnesses after ‘Sylvester’, a tom cat, was caught in an animal leg trap on Sunday.
Sylvester was found with his leg stuck in the trap in the garden of a home in Wellingborough Road, Earls Barton.
Sylvester’s owner lives at an address in Kings Street, Earls Barton, and it is thought that he is likely to have come across the trap somewhere in the local area.
Rural crime officer Andy Hoyle, who is dealing with the case, said: “This kind of illegal trap is barbaric. It can inflict savage injuries that would place an animal in severe pain, which is why they have been illegal for many years.
“The person who set this trap may not be aware that it is an offence. It could quite easily have been a child that got caught in the trap instead of the cat.
“If anyone knows who set this trap, I would urge them to contact us so that we can make sure this doesn’t happen again.
“Sylvester is lucky not to have died from his injuries and was thankfully rescued by Animals In Need.”