Cat owners are warned to be on their guards amid fears that pets are being targeted by thugs. A dozen cats have disappeared in just five months in the Queens Road area of Ingrow.

And in one incident youths were seen with a lurcher dog attacking a cat, which subsequently died. It is feared some of the missing moggies may have been taken by thugs to be used as dog-fight fodder.

Kathryn Grigg, a former north-east regional co-ordinator for National Petwatch, told us: "The number of cats which have disappeared in that area recently is exceptionally high.

"The fur trade market has dropped off so I don't think that is the reason. Sometimes dog fighters will take cats off the streets to use them for their purposes, and this could well be what is happening here.

"Cat owners would be advised to keep their pets indoors between dusk and dawn and not let their pet out during the day unless they are at home to keep a frequent eye on the street."

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