A FAMILY pet suffered a horrific slow death after becoming trapped in an illegal snare at a North-East beauty spot.

The RSPCA was called in after the body of a cat was discovered caught in the snare on the Carterway Heads side of the Derwent Reservoir, near Consett, County Durham.

A spokeswoman for the charity said: "It had been caught by its back legs in a self-locking snare, and by the look of the injuries it sustained, it had fought for a long while to free itself.

"As the cat fought to free itself from the snare's grip, the skin around its legs had been stripped away. The cat must have been in complete agony.

"The snare had been set on top of a wall, which is against all guidelines for setting snares.

"The dead cat was a domestic, short-haired tabby. It was not a feral cat, which means somebody, somewhere has lost their pet."

Snares are used mainly by gamekeepers to kill pest species. It is a criminal offence to set a self-locking snare, because their tightening action can lead to crushing and mutilation before death.

It is also illegal to set a snare to catch or kill a domestic animal.

RSPCA inspector Sue Craig, who attended the incident on Monday, is appealing for help from the public in catching the people who set the trap.

She said: "Whoever set this snare has broken the law. They have set an illegal self-locking snare and they have caught a family pet, leaving it to die in agony.

"I would urge anyone who has any information as to who set this snare to contact the RSPCA immediately."

Anyone with any information is asked to call the charity on 08705 555999.