Shock after severed cat's head found in Leighton Buzzard street

Fears that a '˜cat killer' is on the loose have intensified after passers-by made a grizzly discovery in a Leighton Buzzard street.
Leighton BuzzardLeighton Buzzard
Leighton Buzzard

The decapitated head of a white and fawn male cat was found by shocked onlookers in Meadow Way on Friday morning.

An eyewitness told the LBO: “It was a nasty experience to see first thing in the morning... There was no body and I couldn’t pick it up.

“I’ve got a cat missing and so have a few people in this area. Mine does wander but it’s been a week now.”

One woman eventually took away the cat’s head and managed to trace the owner through Facebook later that day. The head was then taken to the vets for inspection.

The ‘UK cat killer’ is also referred to as the ‘Croydon cat killer’ and the ‘M25 cat killer’ and has been linked to 400 animal deaths in the south of England. Besides cats, there are also reports of foxes and rabbits killed.

In nearby Aylesbury, several cats were decapitated at Christmas last year and three rabbits were found dismembered in their hutches last week.

A dedicated rescue group, South Norwood Animal Rescue Liberty (SNARL) has led the investigation into the cat killer’s activities. A spokesman told the LBO it was aware of the incident in Leighton Buzzard and that enquiries are ongoing.

A Beds Police spokesman added: “We take concerns of pet owners extremely seriously and have a dedicated plan - Operation Cosmic - to investigate and identify any links between any reports of suspicious animal deaths to establish the circumstances around them.

“Operation Cosmic has been set up to help build a larger picture of intelligence into such incidents, and to cross reference against any recent reports from cat owners that their pets are missing. If you have any information that could help with Operation Cosmic, please use our online reporting tool or call 101.”