Croydon cat killer ‘luring victims with raw chicken' before decapitating them

Vet believes cats are ‘strangled’ and then ‘taken off site to be butchered’

The culprit has yet to be found (Rex Features)

A serial cat murderer believed to have killed more than 40 animals in the past three years is luring the victims with raw chicken, according to an examining vet.

Scotland Yard are currently investigating the gruesome decapitation of cats in the Croydon area, which are thought to be the work of one person.

The vet, who wishes to remain anonymous, told BBC News he believed 10 of the 16 deaths were linked following an examination of their carcasses, and has ruled out the possibility other animals are responsible for the killings.

Of those, four were in Croydon and one each was in Streatham, Mitcham Common, Sutton, Charlton, Peckham and Finchley, dating back to September 2015.

In the past two cases, one of which was examined on Thursday, the vet found raw chicken in the cat’s stomachs, suggesting they had been lured by the killer.

He said the culprit, dubbed the “Cat Ripper” or the “Croydon Cat Killer” by some, used a “sharp-bladed instrument” to remove the heads, and sometimes tails, of the animals.

“Like a knife, but not a scalpel because the incisions are too long for that,” he explained.

He told the website the surgical technique of whoever was carrying out the slayings has improved as they had gone on.

"My fear initially was the cats were being hacked to death because the cuts were really random, but the incisions have become much more precise, which suggests they are being killed first."

"I think they are being strangled and then taken off-site to be butchered, and then the bodies are being returned and dumped, that is why there is no blood found at the scene," he said.

According to BBC News, the killer is believed to have worn protective clothing as no DNA has been found on the cats claws.

The RSPCA said it was keeping an open mind until further tests have been conducted and the results returned, which should be by mid-March.

Although more than 40 cat beheadings have been reported to the South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty centre, most in the last three years, the Met Police said the number of incidents linked to the investigation was still in single figures.

Police have urged anyone with information to call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.