CAT owners in Bexleyheath are being urged to help stop the rise in unwanted kittens, by having their cat neutered.

The RSPCA and other animal welfare organisations in the capital have teamed up with 150 private vets to offer free neutering to residents on low incomes, state benefits or pensions. They aim to neuter an extra 70,000 cats during the next five years at a potential cost of £1.7m.

Central London branch volunteer Christine Kerridge said: "The RSPCA deals with thousands of unwanted kittens every year. If the mother had been neutered in the first place, so much suffering could have been prevented."

Cats can be neutered from five-and-a-half months old. Applicants will be given a voucher for free neutering, which they can take to their nearest participating vet. To register for the scheme, call 020 7355 1677.