AN angry animal lover has hit out after learning that one of her pet cats was run over and then dumped in a canal by a callous motorist.

Jacquie Day, from Markfield Crescent, Islands Brow, asked a neighbour to look after her beloved cats when she went away on holiday. But when she returned, one of the cats, Declan, was missing and the neighbour did not know what might have happened to him.

Then a stranger -- Mark Henderson -- knocked at Jacquie's door and told her he had seen the cat get run over at the end of the street. She said: "He then said that the driver had picked up the cat and threw him into the canal at Merton Bank. Mark tried to save Declan and took him to a vets in Warrington but sadly he had to be put to sleep there".

And she added: "I can't believe that someone could do such a cruel thing. However, I would like to thank Mark for his efforts".