A PET owner is offering a cash reward in a bid to find out who killed her cat.

Police were called to reports of a cat which had been shot at the Leeds and Liverpool Canal near the Albion pub, on Whalley Road, Clayton-Le-Moors on Saturday.

The black and white domestic house cat, Thomas, was fished out of the canal by a fisherman and taken to a vet where the cause of death was established, a police spokesman said.

The alleged shooting comes just days after a swan was killed and another injured on the canal near the Albion after they had been shot by someone with an airgun.

Thomas’s owner Jade Townsend, 28, who lives on Whalley Road with her nine-year-old daughter Mia Dawson, was ‘devastated’ to hear about the death of her cat, which she had owned since he was born.

Ms Townsend, who works at Paddy Power in Accrington, wants ‘justice’ for her cat’s death and is offering a £500 reward to find the culprit.

She said: “I was in shock when I first heard he died.

“I went completely numb and just couldn’t believe it.

“I now want justice for my lovely cat.

“I’m offering a cash reward to find out more information because the culprits keep getting away with it.

“How many more animals have to die before something is done to stop this?

“I have had to tell my lovely daughter Thomas was run over by a car to soften the blow because I can’t bring myself to tell her what really happened.

“She is absolutely devastated.

“Thomas was cremated yesterday so he can come back home.”

Andy Richards, founder of Friends of the Cats, based in Accrington, said: “It’s shocking.

“We thought it had gone quiet on these types of incidents but it doesn’t appear that way.”

“There are more people who want cats as indoor pets and you can understand why.

“It’s becoming too dangerous to be let your cats outdoors.

“I would advise anyone in that area to be vigilant and report anything suspicious to the police.”

Cllr Tim O’ Kane, who represents the area and is a former Mayor of Hyndburn, said: “It’s absolutely abhorrent and distressing for anyone to lose their pets in these circumstances.

“If this incident and the swan shooting are linked we need to make sure the perpetrators are caught.

“There are a lot of people in Clayton who love their wildlife.

“To see something like this is just completely unacceptable.”

A police spokesman said: “We were called to reports of a cat being shot.

“We took the call on January 6 just before 10pm.

“The report claimed the cat had been shot and unfortunately the cat did not survive.

“We believe the cat may have been shot with an air rifle.

“The incident is currently under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the police on 101 and quote LC-20180106-1421.”