A mother was left shocked after hearing her 11-year-old son had to rescue a terrified cat trapped in a dog poo bin in Sidmouth.

Jack Dalton was returning from school to Lindemann Close when he came across the unusual sight of a dog poo bin moving.

As he got closer, he noticed a brick had been laid on top and when he removed it, he found a terrified cat inside.

The school child had to unravel the animal from a plastic bag it had become entangled in and after it had been freed, the distressed cat scurried away.

Jack returned home to tell his mother Holly Littlegyke who after hearing the shocking news, called the police to report the crime.

Investigations into who caught the cat and placed it in the bin have been difficult given the lack of evidence or witnesses but a police spokesman said local forces had been alerted, to be aware of any further instances.

On the event, an RSPCA spokesperson said: “It is very concerning that someone could treat a cat in this way.

“Cruelty towards animals is never acceptable.

“We are pleased to hear the cat was rescued by a passerby, and thankfully unhurt by the experience.

“Anyone with information on this can contact us on 0300 1234 999.”

Holly is now hoping to raise awareness of potentially trapped animals and to also discourage anyone from committing a similar crime.

She posted the news on the Sidmouth Community Facebook page where some users commented that it is ‘absolutely shocking’ and ‘cruel and sick’.

Others were keen to praise Jack for his maturity in dealing with the problem.

One of the users is a resident of Lindemann Close and told the Herald she was ‘disgusted’ by the events.

She said: “It’s very sad that we feel scared to let our animals out of the house through fear of something like this happening.”

The cat was found around 4pm on Friday, October 30.

Anyone who knows anything or who has some relevant information which may be useful to the police’s investigation has been asked to call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The crime report reference number of 536 and will be needed with the above date.