ANIMAL lovers in a Kent region are calling for airguns to be controlled more closely after a series of incidents involving cats.

Cats have always been popular targets for thugs with guns in Thanet and Cats in Crisis leader Mary Knott said: "It has been a cause of great concern to us for many years. There has been a large number of animals and people injured or killed by airguns.

"One recent case of a lady we knew in St. Peter’s who had her beloved cat killed by one of these weapons has prompted us to start up a petition on the Downing Street website to have these and similar weapons controlled more closely – and banned totally for the under 21s.

"Since then, there has been another report in the local press of an injured cat, with a pellet very close to its spine. If you have access to a computer, please sign up and forward the petition to as many people as you can."

The current law allows for 17-year-olds to purchase airguns.

Click here to access the petition >>>