A cat owner has spoken of her shock after her beloved pet was mortally injured in an air gun attack.Linda Sacks, of Heather Way, Brandon, thought her nine-year-old cat Sunny had been hit by a car after finding him wounded near her home on Sunday morning.

A cat owner has spoken of her shock after her beloved pet was mortally injured in an air gun attack.

Linda Sacks, of Heather Way, Brandon, thought her nine-year-old cat Sunny had been hit by a car after finding him wounded near her home on Sunday morning.

But a trip to her vet and an x-ray revealed that the ginger and white tom cat had an air rifle pellet lodged in his spinal cord and had to be put to sleep.

The mother-of-one said she was saddened and angered by the incident, which she believes happened at woodland near her Brandon home. Suffolk Police is investigating the shooting, which was discovered at about 10am on Sunday.

Mrs Sacks said her five-year-old son Jack was “very upset” at seeing Sunny put down.

“Heather Way is a very quiet street and you do not expect something like this to happen. I am concerned that kids maybe running around with an air rifle and people need to be aware.

“If Sunny had been killed in a car accident we could accept that a little bit more, but to think that someone did this on purpose is not a very nice thought,” she said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Leah Driver at Brandon police station on 01284 774100.