Cat killed by hunting dogs and thrown over fence by huntsman

Carly Jose said rescue tortoiseshell cat Mini was "irreplaceable"

A cat owner has been left "in shock" after hounds from a hunting group killed her pet.

Carly Jose's rescue tortoiseshell, Mini, was killed outside her home in west Cornwall on Saturday by dogs being exercised, and the body was then thrown over a fence by a member of the hunt.

Ms Jose said she was offered money but "no amount can bring my baby back".

The Western Hunt said it had contacted Ms Jose "to apologise unreservedly for the distress" and informed police.

Ms Jose, 39, said she let Mini, who she had owned since November 2016 and thought to be about 14 years old, out in what she said was a "safe" street.

After the mauling, the cat's body was seen being thrown over the fence at the side of her home, in Madron, near Penzance, by a neighbour who videoed the scene.

The dead cat was thrown over a fence after it was mauled

Ms Jose said police arrived within 20 minutes of the incident being reported, and a member of the hunt came to see her about four hours afterwards to offer to help bury the cat and offer money.

She said she was scared to let any other pets out and was "in shock completely" at the incident.

The Western Hunt said the hounds were being exercised "in an area where they are taken routinely, without incident".

It said it had "been in contact with the cat owner to apologise unreservedly for the distress this has caused" and was helping the police with their inquiries.

Animal welfare charity the RSPCA said the video was "heartbreaking to see" and urged any witnesses to contact police.

Devon and Cornwall Police said no arrests had been made and inquiries were ongoing.