Over 25,000 outraged animal lovers have signed a petition calling for the cat killer investigation to be reopened.

Last Thursday the Met announced they would be closing their near three year-long investigation into the supposed killer, having concluded that the suspicious deaths could be explained by car-collisions and scavenging foxes.

The announcement sparked a backlash from disbelieving animal lovers, who insist the deaths can only be explained by human involvement.

The petition was started by Vinnii West, a 29-year-old from Ashford, just one week ago, hours after the police’s statement was released.

Having surpassed the initial goal of 25,000 signatures, the petition's target has been raised to 35,000.

Ms West, who owns four cats, said: “I started the petition because we need the Met to open the case again and to keep looking to find this person who’s doing these awful things to our animals.

“There’s no way that they were killed by other animals.

“None of it makes sense!”

Like many others who believe a cat-killer walks among us, Ms West believes the investigation was closed for budgetary reasons.

She said: “I think the Met closed the investigation due to funding.

“We know that they are stretched at the moment, but this situation could escalate, and rather quickly.”

“I’m hoping that everyone can just stick together, and work with SNARL (South Norwood Animal Rescue Liberty) to find this person.

“I hope the Met will see that this is a serious situation, and someone needs to address it.”

South Norwood Animal Rescue Liberty (SNARL), a local rescue charity who played a central role in the police’s investigation, has vowed to continue investigating independently of the Met, rubbishing the police’s explanation.

Led by partners Tony Jenkins and Boudicca Rising, SNARL has linked over 400 deaths to the killer.

In their latest statement, released on Tuesday, they said: “We are not going to criticise the police or RSPCA for their decision.

“We may not agree with it, but we accept that this is the way they wish to conclude.

“What the police decision does mean is that it frees us up to accept help that has been offered to us and which we haven't been able to accept because up until now it has been a police-led investigation.

“We are aware of an inclination in the press to paint us as two mad animal activists, but the truth is that SNARL hasn't just been the Tony and Boudicca show for a while now.

“We have just kept some of those people out of the public eye.”

You can view the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/metropolitan-police-croydon-cat-killer