A CAT found beheaded in a Bracknell street just a week on from the discovery of a tabby cut in half has sparked fears the town has become the next target of the 'Croydon Cat Killer'.

The body of a black cat was found decapitated in Pyegrove Chase at 10am this morning (Thursday) by a distraught resident, though the animal's owners remain unknown.

Today's incident follows the grim discovery of just the rear end of a young tabby cat less than a mile away in Chisbury Close last Thursday (August 11) which animal rescue SNARL (South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty) say bore the same characteristics as the notorious cat murders in Croydon and within the M25 over the past year.

Speaking to the News, a resident of Pyegrove Chase, Jeff Coneron, was relieved to find out it was not the body of their family cat Sly, who had been hiding in an upstairs bedroom. 

He said: "Whoever did it is just callous, they obviously are not in their right mind, no one in their right mind would think about doing this. You just think if they can do that to a cat, what will they do next?"

Despite two attacks being just a week apart, Thames Valley Police claim it's not possible to say yet if the incidents are linked and insist the injuries may have been caused by another animal such as a fox. 

A police spokesperson said: "We are looking into it at the moment. It's a bit difficult to say who did it, it's possible it's a person that's responsible but it's equally possible an animal was responsible. 

"There's nothing to suggest it is linked to last week's incident at the moment but obviously if anyone has any information we'd like to hear from them."

SNARL have linked the Bracknell killing last week to a series of horrific murders across the country with around 70 cat deaths confirmed since February 2016 which share the same forensic characteristics. 

Founder of SNARL Tony Jenkins said the decapitated cat also had the same characteristics of the other cases which have been confirmed as linked following post-mortem examinations.

He said: "It looked like it could be the same killer, but I'm not 100 per cent sure.

"It's a nightmare for the owners, if the cat was chipped we might be able to trace them, if not we will have to put a call out for missing long-haired black cats.

"The killer is just a psychopath who derives pleasure from it, they certainly get pleasure out of putting the remains on display for the owners to find."

Mr Jenkins added that there had been a host of other killings in south London, Bromley and Otford near Sevenoaks, Kent, in the past week as well.

He believes the prolific killer has been on the loose for nearly two years, and urges residents to contact SNARL if they find dead cats, as well as contacting police. 

Anyone with information on either incident should contact police on 101 and SNARL on 07961 030 064.

Visit snarl.org.uk