'Heartbreak' after four Derbyshire cats die in suspected poisoning

The distressed owners of a cat killed in a potentially deliberate poisoning have said it's "hard to trust the neighbours".

Four animals in the same street in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, died within days of each other earlier this month.

The RSPCA said the cats had all consumed antifreeze which may have been laid deliberately.

Zoe Wade, whose cat Benji died, said she was heartbroken and is now too frightened to let his sister out.

Her cat, who was a year-and-a-half old, fell ill a day after being let out and after tests at the vet it was decided he should be put down.

"We'd only been allowing him out for the past four weeks," she said.

"You feel like you can't trust your neighbour now, it could be anyone, someone we live near to, we don't feel comfortable."

She added: "Everyone is keeping themselves to themselves now. It's a horrible atmosphere."

Ms Wade said the house was "now very different" and Benji's sister has been left confused at his absence.

"One of my neighbours lost both her cats in the space of a day, she's horrified someone could do that. The other has a daughter. She had to tell her the cat had died and she was sobbing, she went to bed with the collar on one of her teddy bears. Everyone is heartbroken."

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