Foul play has been suspected and police alerted after a dead cat was found mutilated in the middle of a road.

Natasha McPhee, owner of Animals lost and found Kent, was called to the incident in Woodlands Road, Gillingham.

She had been alerted by a distressed mother and daughter saying a cat was in the road and has been hit by a car.

She said: "I was shocked because I was expecting a roat traffic accident but it was apparent it was not done by a car as there was no blood anywhere.

"As I walked up to the cat I could see the tail had been removed and another part, which I don't want to say, was also gone.

"I believe the cat was killed before, then the parts were removed."

The owner was notified and police alerted.

Police spokesman James Walker said: "Police are aware of this incident, it was reported to us at 7.45am on Thursday, September 20."

Earlier this week police investigating the so-called Croydon Cat Killer ruled out the existence of any such person following hundreds of cat mutilations.

They said the deaths were likely to have been the result of "predation or scavenging by wildlife".