Reports of animal cruelty in Kent have increased with more than 6,000 complaints reported across the county last year - the fifth highest in the UK.

New figures from the RSPCA show there were 6,075 complaints made in Kent in 2014 compared to 5,889 in 2015.

Nearly 800 of these cases involved deliberate cruelty, while the remainder of complaints concerned neglect or failure to provide proper care.

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A cat so neglected that she huge infected tumour on her face

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Londoners reported the most acts of cruelty.

The RSPCA investigated 159,831 complaints in 2014 compared to 153,770 in 2013 across London.

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A Jack Russell found dumped in Kent

RSPCA chief veterinary officer James Yeates said: "Most of the complaints we receive involve animals being neglected or not receiving the right care and often we can put that right by offering welfare advice.

"However, it is shocking that in 2014 people are still being deliberately cruel in what can be disturbingly inventive ways."

Some of the most horrific cases investigated by the charity nationwide in 2014 included:

  • An eight-week-old Jack Russell terrier puppy from East Sussex who was left in agonising pain and with a raw wound after his tail was cut off.
  • A cat who was held down in a bucket of water and drowned by her owner in West Sussex.
  • A dog named Ziggy who was found shot in the head with a 20-inch crossbow bolt near Peterborough.
  • A cat so neglected that she huge infected tumour on her face which had eaten into her jaw bone in Kent.