A CRUEL gang of youths who encouraged a vicious dog to maul a cat outside its Basingstoke home are being hunted by police and animal welfare officers.

The six teenagers set the Staffordshire bull terrier onto the 15-year-old family pet in Falkland Road, Popley, and then walked off laughing, with the dog carrying the cat in its mouth.

The cat's distraught owner, Lisa Mallinson, 34, found him dead the following morning, with a broken neck and puncture wounds to his chest.

"I want to let people know about these teenagers so that if anyone leaves their cat out overnight they can take it in," she said.

"I know there are a lot of sick people out there, but this doesn't bear thinking about."

Mrs Mallinson heard a noise outside the house when the attack happened at 1.45am last Tuesday, and looked out to see the teenagers walking away from her porch.

When she went downstairs to investigate, she noticed her cat, Maverick, was missing, and ran out of the house to search for him.

Mrs Mallinson said: "I came back to my house, and a man was there talking to my husband. He said: 'I can't believe what I have just seen. I'm really sorry to tell you this, but you won't find your cat alive'."

Mrs Mallinson frantically searched the streets again, but without success, and spent three sleepless hours waiting for daylight. She then found Maverick's body in a bush outside the house.

"It's just so heartbreaking," said Mrs Mallinson, who had owned the cat since he was a kitten.

"I still get very weepy, but now I'm more angry. It's going to take me a long time to get over it."

RSPCA spokeswoman Lucy Clark said the police, supported by the RSPCA, are following up the incident and have taken a statement from someone who witnessed the attack.

She said: "The dog was on a lead, and appears to have been deliberately goaded into attacking the cat."

She added that the culprits will be prosecuted if they are caught.

"It's an offence to deliberately set dogs on cats because it causes them unnecessary suffering," said Ms Clark.

Police are looking for six young men in connection with the attack.

The person they believe to have principally encouraged the dog attack is described as a very tall, black teenager who was wearing a white hooded top.

The dog was brown, with white patches.

Anyone who knows anything about the attack, or the culprits, should call Basingstoke police on 0845 045 45 45 or the RSPCA on 08705 555 999.