Rushden: Police probe after pet cat killed by airgun

Belle was shot and fatally injured near her home last month

A woman has been left "heartbroken" after a cat she rescued was shot with an airgun and later died.

Belle, aged four, was found badly injured by her owners last month in the Greenacre estate in Rushden, Northamptonshire.

She was taken to the vets but died from her injuries.

The RSPCA said Belle was the second cat to be killed by a pellet in the area in just nine months. Northamptonshire Police has appealed for information.

Belle's owner, who wished to stay anonymous, said she "screamed" and was "hysterical" after finding her pet hurt.

She said: "We had rescued her from six weeks old. She was very timid. It took so much for her to trust us.

Belle's owners said they were "heartbroken" that she had been "targeted"

"She was a tiny thing. We called her Belle because we needed a bell on her collar to know where she was.

"We are angry, frustrated and heartbroken that anyone, be that a child or adult - someone local - has deliberately targeted her."

Belle was taken to a specialist vet, but they were unable to save her life.

The RSPCA said another cat, Minerva, aged three, was shot and killed on the same estate on 7 August last year.

Three-year-old Minerva was also shot and killed in the Greenacre estate

RSPCA inspector Beckie Harlock, who is investigating the incident, said: "My heart just breaks for Belle's owners - this is something no pet owner should have to go through.

"Losing a pet is devastating - but knowing someone has deliberately targeted your animal is just so difficult to comprehend."

Northamptonshire Police said: "Despite an investigation by the East Northants Neighbourhood Policing Team, we have unfortunately been unable to establish who is responsible for inflicting the injuries which sadly led to Belle's death."

The force has called for anyone with information to contact 101.