THE killers of a cat which was cooked alive in a microwave oven are unlikely to be prosecuted.

Police have been unable to amass enough evidence to charge any of the seven suspects they arrested and questioned.

Last night, The Northern Echo discovered that no further action will be taken against any of the men thought to be responsible.

The case caused outrage when details of the sadistic party prank were made public.

It was thought the pet may have been put in the oven as a sick joke during a party at the house in Stockton on Boxing Day last year.

The body of the cat, a one-year-old female, was found by her owner after the revellers had left the house on the Blue Hall estate.

Police and RSPCA staff recovered the body after the distressed householder called them.

The woman also provided Cleveland Police with a list of people who had been at the house. Seven men were arrested but bailed without charge after being questioned.

Last night, a Cleveland Police spokesman said: "No further action is being taken because of insufficient evidence."

Kate Bunting, of the Cats' Protection League, said: "It's such a shame that people are not being brought to book for this sort of thing."

And a spokeswoman for the RSPCA said last night: "We are very disappointed. It's so sad. All too often this is the case when the evidence against a suspect is either missing or not good enough.

"If the evidence is not there or the witness statements aren't strong enough, people get away with horrendous cruelty.

"That is why we need the help of the public at all times to bring matters to our attention and to help prosecutions. We rely on the general public."

The incident was the latest - and one of the most shocking - in a shameful catalogue of animal torture, starvation, beatings and abandonment in the region.

The North-East and North Yorkshire has the unenviable reputation as the cruelty capital of the country and latest figures show the number of complaints has risen to 35,280 a year.

Figures from the charity show the region has topped the cruelty league for the last ten years.

Five kittens taken from the house by cat shelter staff have been re-homed, it was also revealed last night.