A VET is warning parents to be on their guard after two cats died from a dose of poison strong enough to kill a small child.

It is thought the two animals may have died after swallowing highly toxic starfish, ground into a powder.

Vet James Haddow warned that the poison could also prove fatal in humans.

"If it was starfish, you'd be dead," he said. "There is no antidote."

The two cats were taken to Marske Vets, last weekend by owner Tracy Farndale, of Boosbeck Road, Skelton Green.

Despite spending the weekend on drips, both cats died on Sunday evening after showing signs of neurological toxic poisoning.

Now the family's third cat has also been taken to the surgery and is on a drip where vets are investigating the cause of its illness.

Mr Haddow believes the poison which killed the two cats may be from a starfish - the marine animal is often used to keep predators away from pigeon lofts - or slug bait.

The vet added he could not rule out the possibility that the animals were poisoned deliberately.

"We regularly get cats with slug bait poisoning but the appearance of these cats was not similar to my experience of slug bait poisoning," he said.

"Two from one household is very suspicious. Either they were fed it or it has been put in a very tempting position."

He said people should try to use pet friendly slug bait and warned that incorrect use of poisons was illegal.