A PET owner is calling for harsher laws on BB guns after two of her cats were shot and left to die in a field.

Jewel Adlington from Bishop Auckland found the bodies of her beloved cats Millie and Rory behind the town’s Woodhouse Close allotments.

Miss Adlington said: “Rory and Millie were part of our family. Some may say they’re just cats, but they knew when we were sad, gently nudged our faces with their paws for attention and were with us.

“The utter pain we are feeling after not only losing them but finding them in such a traumatising way is unbearable”

The Bishop Auckland resident’s first cat Millie went missing in October, Miss Adlington wasn’t alarmed at first as said Millie was a cat who didn’t mind being away from home.

As time went on, she lived in hope someone had rehomed the cat but still searched for her by creating lost posters and knocking on doors. She also appealed for help from the community on Facebook.

In December, to Miss Adlington’s disbelief her second cat Rory went missing. The disappearance set off alarm bells for the animal lover who was worried something sinister had happened.

The County Durham teacher believes if people who owned BB guns were made to have a license, the number of similar incidents would be lower.

Miss Adlington alongside her mother Jo Adlington is calling on others to support the Cats Protection petition to change the law on air gun ownership in England and Wales.

A Cats Protection spokesperson said: “We are extremely sorry to hear about what’s happened to these two cats and send our utmost sympathy to the owner.

“We’re campaigning to make it illegal to own an air gun in England and Wales without a licence, following in the footsteps of Scotland and Northern Ireland.”

Since the incident Miss Adlington has informed the police and is assisting them with their investigation.

PC Ken Barclay, from Bishop Auckland Neighbourhood team, said: “We would like to remind people that the killing of animals is an offence and is taken seriously by us.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Bishop Auckland Neighbourhood Team on 101 quoting reference number 112 of January 3.