RSPCA officers are hunting the cruel owner who let a Persian can get infested with maggots.

The poor kitty was found wandering the streets of Maidstone yesterday afternoon.

The RSPCA said she was spotted "in distress" on Stockett Lane.

The cat was taken to the RSPCA's Leybourne Animal Centre where she was handed over immediately to a vet.

Leybourne deputy manager, Elizabeth Wood, said: "She had very matted fur and the most extreme case of maggot infestation in her eyes that the vet had seen.

"The maggots were actually eating into her brain so there was no hope and she was put to sleep to end her suffering.

"It is amazing that she was walking around and crying out in that state."

The cat is believed to have got lost and her condition deteriorated so badly because she was not being looked after.

Persian cats need regular grooming to make sure their fur does not become matted.

Anyone with information should contact the RSPCA in confidence on 0300 123 4999.