HUNDREDS of animal abusers in the region are at risk of "graduating" to seriously harming people, a report claims.

Campaigners are planning to use their findings to demand that animal cruelty is taken more seriously by prosecutors and the courts.

The report, by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), highlights the cases of North-East child-killer Mary Bell and the boys who slaughtered children and teachers at Columbine School, in the US.

Report author Kate Fowler-Reeves said the multiple murderers had practised their crimes on animals before moving on to humans.

Last night, the research was welcomed by animal welfare charity the RSPCA, which last month revealed that the North-East was once again the animal cruelty capital of the country.

Tens of thousands of copies of the 14-page report, called Information for Prosecutors, Police Officers, Magistrates and Judges, will be distributed around the UK.

Copies will be sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, every criminal court, 1,600 police stations, MPs and every probation office in the country.

In an accompanying letter, police will be encouraged to take animal cruelty complaints seriously, while magistrates and judges will be asked to hand down stiff sentences.

Ms Fowler-Reeves said: "To protect animals and people, we must act to stop violence at its roots. Taking animal abuse seriously is the vital first step."

Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, as well as Mary Bell, who aged 11 strangled two boys in Newcastle, all tortured and killed animals before they killed people.