An appeal for information is being made by the RSPCA after a video posted on social media which showed a youth "drop- kicking" a cat high into the air.

The video, which was reported to the RSPCA by Instagram users, is believed to have been filmed in South London and it's believed the perpetrator may be under the age of 18.

RSPCA assistant director Dermot Murphy said: “A young man is seen picking up a black and white cat before drop kicking it high into the air.

“We would like to hear from anyone who saw this incident or who recognises the street in which it occurred so we can look further into this.

“It is completely unacceptable to treat a cat in this way and he or she could well have suffered some severe injuries from such a brutal kick. We understand that such acts of cruelty can be very upsetting and emotive and we would urge anyone who does recognise the culprit or area to pass the information on to us and not be tempted to act on it themselves."

The video came to light on social media after initially being posted by a sharing account called The Street Blogs.

It’s not known at this stage whether the cat belonged to the man pictured in the video or whether the animal was seriously hurt.

Anyone with any information about the young man in the video or the area in which it was filmed is urged to contact the RSPCA’s 24-hour emergency line on 0300 12343 999.