A poor black cat had to have her front leg amputated after getting caught in a vicious trap.

The adventurous moggie, named Lauren by staff at the RSPCA Canterbury branch, suffered serious injuries which left her leg too damaged to save.

After getting a leg stuck in the spring trap in a field near Cleve Court Farm in Canterbury, Lauren carried on through the pain by wandering around with the device still attached to her.

A passerby luckily found her tangled up in netting before taking her to a vets in New Dover Road. The injured feline was then taken into the care of the RSPCA.

Deborah Smith, from the animal charity, said: "This poor cat must have been in absolute agony but she was still trying to get around with this horrible trap attached to her leg and ended up even more stuck.

"While it is not an illegal trap in itself, the trap is likely to have been set illegally as these kind of traps should be set in an artificial or natural tunnel which is fit for purpose and secured to the ground in order to avoid catching non-target species. It may have also been left out and forgotten about for some time.

"We would ask people to be vigilant to keep an eye out for these traps. Sadly, domestic animals can fall foul of them and they are unforgiving - leaving Lauren with life-changing injuries."

Lauren is now on cage rest and painkillers while she recovers from surgery. The branch will then look to rehome her following her recovery.

The RSPCA is appealing to anyone with information about the spring trap in Canterbury or how it came to injure the cat to get in touch by calling 0300 123 8018.