School kids have been filmed pelting a squirrel with stones, hanging it from a tree and then setting it on fire as the RSPCA warn about an alarming rise in cruel attacks on helpless animals.

In a video from September, Wilmington School for Boys pupils posted footage of them dropping a brick on a squirrel and using a spray can and a lighter to set it on fire.

It is not clear whether the squirrel was dead when they found it, but their video had the caption: 'WTF is wrong with us.'

The boys, believed to be 14 to 15 years old, claimed the squirrel was dead when they found it and were excluded from school and made to do community service.

In 2015, the RSPCA received 27 reports of animal cruelty after parents or their children saw videos on the popular mobile phone app, Snapchat.

An RSPCA SOU intelligence officer - who cannot be named - said: “What’s even more concerning than the 340 per cent increase in reports of videos of animal cruelty on Snapchat in just two years, is the level of cruelty being seen.

"While many of these videos shows acts of animal cruelty that are at the lower end of severity - such as teenagers chasing geese or throwing stones at birds - a worrying number of them show serious acts of brutality."

Other incidents reported to the RSPCA include a guinea pig being thrown down the stairs, a tortoise being fed drugs and a goldfish having it's eye cut out.

Almost 30 per cent of Snapchat users under the age of 25 polled by the RSPCA said footage of animal cruelty and abuse had been shared with them and 60 per cent said what they had seen was serious or extreme.

The RSPCA manages to trace the person responsible and resolve around 80 per cent of all cases reported involving Snapchat videos. In most cases, RSPCA officers - often with police - will visit their schools and speak to their parents.

The intelligence officer said: "Not only are these savage attacks on defenceless and vulnerable animals, but videos often include youngsters laughing as they inflict the injuries or text layered over the top suggest that they find it entertaining.”

Other examples of cruelty filmed for the app include a sheep being beaten to death with a golf club and two chickens being beaten to death.

Dave Allen, head of education and advice at the RSPCA, said: "We would prefer to educate children to ensure they understand that being cruel or causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is not funny and is wrong.

“The increase in the number of these shocking videos on Snapchat shows that there is a culture of cruelty developing on these social media platforms and it’s important that we work with other agencies to put a stop to that.

“That’s why the RSPCA would like to see animal welfare included as part of the National Curriculum.”