A FAMILY have spoken out against the growing problem of air rifles in the district after their beloved cat was left paralysed when he was shot in the spine.

Julian Popple, 43, of Tempest Mead, North Weald, said his family were devastated over what had happened to one-year-old Jim- “One of the friendliest cats you could ever meet”.

He said: “We let the cat out last Sunday morning as we do every day and he always comes back without fail. That day he didn't come back. The following day he still wasn't back and we were extremely worried.

“We went to the vets and he'd been found by someone from Dukes Close who'd handed him in. He'd been shot in the back with an air rifle.

“He's paralysed from the waist down and his back legs don't work although it's possible they might come back to life.

“We were absolutely devastated to think someone would do that. It beggars belief. You don't just go around shooting people's cats. I've got two daughters: one's 19 and one's 14 and you can imagine the 14-year-old was very upset.

“We've had no problems with neighbours or anything. I'm sure it's kids. I can't think any adult would go around shooting cats.”

Vet Daniel Nathan, of North Weald Veterinary Surgery, who treated Jim said: “The bullet was quite deep inside so he was probably shot from fairly close range with a rifle of pistol. It was quite a nasty incident and the family were very shocked when it happened.”

The Guardian reported in September this year on the air-rifle shooting of Persian cat Hendrix, in Lower Swaines, Epping, in what appears to be a growing problem in the area.

RSPCA south east senior regional press officer Klare Kennett admitted air rifle shootings of pets were becoming increasingly common.

She said: “It's certainly a big problem across the whole country and we are finding lots of people find their cats or wildlife shot. It's just kids out with air rifles who haven't been told that it's wrong.”

In the first six months of this year there were 310 recorded incidents nationwide of animals being shot with air rifles compared to 497 incidents for the whole of the year before and just 354 incidents in 2007.