A GUINEA pig was eaten alive by maggots in a ‘agonising slow death’ after allegedly being dumped in a wheelie bin in Nelson.

The adult brown and white female guinea pig was found abandoned in a waterlogged wheelie bin behind Tavistock Street yesterday morning by a Pendle Council worker.

RSPCA inspector Natalie Taylor said she had been ‘discarded like rubbish’, was covered in fly eggs and was being eaten underneath her body by maggots.

Her injuries were so severe she had to be put to sleep by a vet.

Insp Taylor said: “This poor guinea pig was discarded like a piece of rubbish.

“The council kept her warm and dry and the RSPCA collected her and took her to a vet, where she was found to be covered in fly eggs and had live maggots eating into her underneath.

Unfortunately the vets had to put her to sleep to end her suffering.

“The RSPCA are investigating this and urge anyone with any information to come forward.

“It’s not know how long she had been in the bin for.

“But if she had gone unnoticed her suffering would have been prolonged and she would have had an agonising slow death as the maggots ate her alive.

“It is not clear how or why the this guinea pig was placed in a bin but, she couldn’t have got there on her own.

“I am shocked and disgusted that this guinea pig was left for dead.”

Meanwhile councillors have been left shocked by the incident and have asked anyone with information to come forward.

Southfield ward councillor David Whalley said: “This is an awful thing. You can’t say it’s children because children wouldn’t do anything like that.

“I will be following this up with Neighbourhood Services to find out what can be done to stop this kind of thing happening in the future.

“I would urge residents to keep an eye on things and report anything to do with animal cruelty to the appropriate authorities.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the RSPCAs 24-hour cruelty line on 03001234999 and quote 1054/24/06/16.