DAWN raids were carried out in one of East Lancashire’s biggest crackdowns on wildlife crime.

More than 20 police and RSPCA officers swooped on 11 homes across Pendle yesterday.

The operation targeted people suspected of training their dogs to maim or kill pets and wild animals for fun.

Ten officers descended upon properties in Duke Street and Hawley Street at 7am yesterday, searching every room.

They seized three lurchers, two terriers and a cross breed lurcher/bull terrier, computers, mobile phones, cash and drugs paraphernalia.

A crowd of residents gathered to watch as a 23-year-old and a 48-year-old man were led away in handcuffs and dogs with scarred faces were taken into an RSPCA van to be examined by a vet.

Last night the men were being questioned on suspicion of animal cruelty.

Police said they are suspected of training dogs to attack and kill cats, foxes, deer, badgers, hares and other animals.

The action came after a 12-month evidence gathering operation into badger digging, deer poaching, hare coursing and offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

During a police briefing before the raids, officers were shown video footage taken from a mobile phone showing a man with a dog shaking a tree to get a cat, which had climbed up it for safety, to fall out.

Images taken from another phone showed the same suspect holding a badly scarred Staffordshire bull terrier’s mouth up for the camera.

Sgt Kim DeCurtis, who led the operation for Pendle Police, said: “The people of Colne and outside have been up in arms about the number of cats going missing and being found maimed or dead.

“I’m very happy with how the raids went.

“We are building cases against these men, gathering evidence and getting files together.

“We know who the main suspects are and we’re going to get them.”

An undercover officer for the RSPCA, who took part in the operation, said: “It’s absolutely disgusting what is done to these animals.

“Imagine your cat being ripped to shreds for sport. It’s vicious. It should be no different if it’s a badger or your pet."

Mark Thomas, Lancashire’s wildlife crime officer, said: “We work closely with the RSPCA to crack down on those who are believed to be involved in organising deliberate expeditions to hunt, take or injure badgers and other wildlife within the Lancashire area.

“I want to reassure members of the public that any reports of animal cruelty and wildlife crime will be looked in to and taken very seriously by both the police and the RSPCA.

“We need continued support from the public and I’d ask anyone who has any information about wildlife crime or animal cruelty to contact us.”

Carroll Lamport, a special investigations officer for the RSPCA, said: “I work nationally and I would say there is a particular problem with wildlife crime in Lancashire and Yorkshire.

“There are a small minority of people who are making life very miserable for wildlife, the dogs and other people.

“The suffering they put these animals through is extreme.”

Darryl Cunnington, an investigations officer for animal welfare charity, the League Against Cruel Sports, attended the raids.

He said: “I was a PC for 30 years and the operation looks well staffed and they certainly seem to be gathering plenty of evidence.”

Anyone with information can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.