A CAT was stuffed inside a bag and thrown in a stream in the third such incident in weeks.

The tortoiseshell cat was discovered tied inside a carrier bag in a beck in Spennymoor, County Durham.

The frightened animal survived the traumatic ordeal and now Spennymoor Police are trying to track down those responsible.

On July 29, two puppies were drowned in a bag, which had been hung on a barbed wire fence, between Old Eldon and Middridge, near Newton Aycliffe, and the same week, two girls found the body of a cat that had been zipped into a bag and dumped in a tributary of the River Wear, at Chester-le-Street.

Margaret Harris is looking after the animal at Spennymoor Cat Rescue. She said: "People have found dead kittens in the beck before.

"We don't know who threw the cat in the river, whether it was the owner or someone else. But if someone has lost a large tortoiseshell cat they should get in contact with me."

Inspector Michael Redshaw, from Spennymoor Police said: "I can't understand why people go to such lengths to dispose of animals when there's plenty of people who will take them in."

Call Spennymoor Police on (01388) 314401, or if you think the cat may belong to you, call Margaret Harris on (01388) 818753.

* The Northern Echo launched its award-winning Animal Watch campaign last year, in conjunction with the RSPCA, to highlight the region's appalling record of animal cruelty.