THE RSPCA has appealed for information to help catch people setting snares in East Lancashire.

The call follows the miraculous escape of two pet cats from homemade snares in the Wheatley Lane area, near Fence. A ginger tom called Snugs still had the snare stuck around his body when he was found.

RSPCA Inspector Dave Anforth said that snares are particularly cruel and although there are generally set for pest control they do not discriminate and a wide variety of animals can be caught. This may include birds, deer and badgers, which are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and could lead to the person responsible being prosecuted.

Mr Anforth said: "A snared animal is usually caught by the neck, but it may also be trapped by a leg or around the body. Once caught, the animal panics and struggles to free itself.

"The more it struggles, the tighter the noose becomes.

"The tighter the noose, the greater the animal's pain and suffering. We urge people to seek more humane alternatives to snaring."

Anyone with information that might identify who is setting the snares in the Wheatley Lane area can contact Mr Anforth on the 24-hour line 08705 555 999.