A Wallington family has been left heartbroken from the loss of their pet cat, which died after being shot at five times by a ball-bearing (BB) gun.

Ruth Parkinson said the family - including daughters Elisha, 13, and Lydia, 11 - noticed Tinkerbell acting strangely last Friday night.

She said: "We found her under Lydia's bed, where she had been sick and relieved herself.

"I thought oh no, she's eaten something horrible' but then I realised she hadn't even cleaned herself, which was odd."

She said concern turned to panic when she began washing Tinkerbell.

"She had a low temperature and she couldn't move her back legs, and then her tongue was hanging out of her mouth and her eyes were all shiny," Mrs Parkinson said.

She rushed Tinkerbell to the local vet, where she was kept in for observation overnight on a supply of fluids and pain killers.

"A couple of hours after we left, the vet called to say they had found out she had been shot five times. The x-rays showed pellets lodged in her back," Mrs Parkinson said.

Tinkerbell did not make it through the night.

Mrs Parkinson said: "It was awful when the vet rang me. I felt so angry. What happened to her was so needless and cruel.

"Then I had to go to both daughters' rooms, one after another, and tell them that Tinkerbell was dead."

She said Elisha and Lydia both insisted on going to the vet to say goodbye to Tinkerbell, an emotional experience.

"They're completely distraught and there have been tears all weekend," Mrs Parkinson said.

Elisha said: "Going into a room and hugging my cat, who was stiff and cold, was horrible."

She said she wanted the person who was responsible to come forward.

"When I found out she was dead, I felt completely numb because I had lost my best friend. I don't want it to happen to anyone else," Elisha said.

Her mother added: "Tinkerbell was a family member, a lovely tabby who was really gentle.

"But she was murdered and whoever did it needs to be charged.

"What would have happened if they had fired accidentally at a child?"

The incident prompted Sutton police spokesman Colin Walden to warn residents about the dangers of carrying imitation firearms in public.

"There is a real danger that someone could be shot by the police because it is very difficult to tell the difference between real and imitation firearms," he said.

Officers - who have knocked on doors in the local area - currently have no leads on the case.

  • To report any information, please telephone 020 8649 0451, quoting reference number 4007319/08.