'HEART-BREAKING' figures have revealed an increase in animal cruelty across Worcestershire.

A combination of the post-pandemic world and the cost-of-living crisis could have created an animal welfare crisis, according to Dermot Murphy who is the inspectorate commissioner at the RSPCA.  

A rise in reports of animal beatings was recorded in Worcestershire last year.

Figures from RSPCA show 143 recorded incidents of animal beatings in Worcestershire last year.

Numbers have gone up as there were 91 incidents recorded in 2021.

More animals were also killed under suspicious circumstances with 891 reports in 2022, up 15 per cent from the year before.

Hannah King, organised a vigil at Cathedral Square after two dogs were killed by police in East London in May. 

READ MORE: Dozens of dog lovers at Worcester vigil for two Staffies shot by Met Police

Miss King has owned dogs for most of her life and said she is shocked by the statistics. 

She said: "In an ideal world it would be zero, but if there was a chance of you being cruel or not being able to look after your animal - you should give them up.

"There is no excuse to be cruel to them.

"I am quite shocked by all the figures.

"It is not great for the county.

"There are other alternatives to animal cruelty, I don't understand how you could physically hurt an animal.

"If you are going to be like that towards animals, you might as well not have them.

"No matter how bad things might get, I would never do anything bad to my dogs."

Mr Murphy said: "Right now, animal cruelty is happening in England and Wales on a massive scale and rising. It is heartbreaking that we are seeing such sad figures which show animal cruelty is, very sadly, on the rise.

"While we don’t know for certain why there has been an increase in reports of cruelty, the cost-of-living crisis and the post-pandemic world we live in have created an animal welfare crisis with more people getting pets with potentially less time and money to care for them.

"The cost-of-living crisis also means the cost of rescuing animals is at an all-time high and our vital services are stretched to the limit."