A hunt has been launched for the thug who kicked a young cat so hard that it had to be put down.

Animal welfare campaigners are calling for the attackers to be brought to justice after the cat was discovered in agony in a Southampton garden.

The animal was found by volunteers from the charity Cats Protection which had been called after concerns for a family of the animals living in the garden of the Prince of Wales pub.

It comes after police linked three deaths of cats in Hampshire to the 'Croydon Cat Killer' who is believed to be behind 230 deaths in the London area.

The latest incident comes after staff at the pub had called the charity because they were concerned for the welfare of the feral animals.

While there, volunteers noticed that a small distressed cat was dragging itself with its front paws.

It was then rushed to the Companion Care Vets Southampton in Winchester Road, where it was discovered its injuries were so severe it had to be put down.

An examination by the vet revealed the one-year-old cat had suffered internal bleeding, a broken pelvis and broken legs as a result of being kicked or beaten.

Co-ordinator at Cat Protection Service branch in Southampton Carolyne Kemp said: “We thought it must have been hit by a car, but it wasn’t, it had been kicked – it was in so much pain, it was hard to watch.

“Cats are defenceless, whomever is doing it needs a harsh punishment.

“People start by hurting animals and then they go on to hurt people.

“I am shocked and disgusted that someone could be so cruel; just because the animal was feral, there was no need to do that.”

She added: “I am really hoping this is not a copy of the other cat deaths I have heard about recently, with similar injuries.”

The service had been dealing with the cats for a few weeks, already taking four adults and five kittens into its care.

A bartender at the Prince of Wales said the animals were popular with staff and customers.

He added: “We were so devastated to hear that one of the cats had to be put down, they were much loved by the staff and customers.”

Last night Cats Protection said it was reporting the incident to Hampshire police and appealed for anyone with information about who kicked the animal to come forward.

The incident comes in the same month that Hampshire police revealed they were linking the killing of cats in Portsmouth to the 'Croydon Cat Killer'.

Operation Takahe was launched to deal with a series of cat deaths in the Croydon and M25 area and is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Service.

Sergeant Tony Jeacock said: “I would like to reassure the public that we are investigating the incident and following all possible leads.

“I would encourage anyone who is aware of any other cats that have been killed, to call 101.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting 44170143847.