WORCESTERSHIRE saw nine attacks on animals as the RSPCA releases a league of shame showing incidents involving air guns and crossbows.

The table released by the RSPCA shows Worcestershire came 32nd out of the 45 English counties which shows animal attacks across the country.

One of the incidents involved a squirrel being shot with a crossbow in Worcestershire. 

Worcester News: A squirrel shot with a crossbow in Worcestershire A squirrel shot with a crossbow in Worcestershire (Image: RSPCA)

The county still saw more attacks than neighbouring Gloucestershire (eight incidents), Warwickshire (six incidents) and Herefordshire (one incident).

The figures cover a period from the beginning of 2020 up to May 2023.

Over this time the RSPCA received 808 reports relating to animals being intentionally harmed with a weapon.

Air guns and rifles were responsible for the bulk of the incidents, with 658 reports made to the charity.

But weapons such as catapults and slingshots accounted for a combined 124 incidents while there were 34 calls to the RSPCA about crossbow incidents.

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Many incidents reported to the charity involve more than one animal being targeted at a time.

Top county hotspots calling the RSPCA to report incidents of animals attacked with weapons were Kent (56 reports), Greater London (47), Merseyside (35) and jointly West Yorkshire (30), Nottinghamshire (30) and West Midlands (30).

The UK’s under-threat wildlife tragically bore the brunt of the attacks, with 841 wild birds - including waterfowl and marine birds - shot by a gun or crossbow or hit by a catapult since the beginning of 2020.

Shockingly, pet cats were also a prime target, with 262 cats deliberately attacked with weapons, followed by wild mammals (82), dogs (59), farm animals (41) and equines (26).

RSPCA national wildlife coordinator Geoff Edmond said: “It is unspeakably cruel, totally unacceptable and illegal to shoot animals for ‘fun’ - or as target practice, but sadly our emergency line is receiving hundreds of reports.

“We think of ourselves as a nation of animal lovers, but the RSPCA’s experience shows that there are people out there who are deliberately targeting wildlife, pets and farm animals with guns, catapults and crossbows. These weapons cause horrific pain and suffering."

All wild birds, including swans, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and it is an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take them except under licence.

The maximum penalty, if found guilty, is six months in prison and/or an unlimited fine.

Anyone caught deliberately using an air gun to injure an animal can face up to five years in prison and/or an unlimited fine if found guilty under the Animal Welfare Act.