ACTS of animal cruelty have plummeted to new depths in the North-East with one report highlighting children using a live hedgehog as a football.

Sickening acts such as the impailing of a pet cat have also been added to the ever growing list of starving dogs and attacks on horses.

The newly revealed cases of cruelty came to light following the publication of new figures which reveal 2,957 complaints were received in the North-East during a 12 month period.

And while police figures indicate that reported acts of cruelty to animals led to only 46 convictions the RSPCA pointed out that it takes out its own private prosecutions against perpetrators.

Police reports have listed some of the acts of animal cruelty on Wearside to include the abuse of the hedgehog by a gang of children and the chasing of horses into a river where the defenceless animals were then pounded with missiles including bricks.

Commenting on the specific cases reported to the police a spokeswoman from the RSPCA said: "Unfortunately, there is a small minority of people who will display violence towards animals and commit these horrific acts."

But she added: "It is important to realise they are in the minority and the courts are becoming more aware of them.'' She said that the RSPCA took court action when it believed that it was in the public interest and there was a very real danger of more animals being hurt.

Prison sentences for animal cruelty are rare but increasingly life-long bans from owning animals are being imposed in the region.