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Police are working with an animal charity to investigate a series of cat deaths in a North Lincolnshire town.

Seven cats have died of suspected poisoning in the Pasture Road South area of Barton upon Humber since March.

The RSPCA said post mortem tests had shown that one of the animals died from a toxic and illegal agricultural pesticide known as Aldicarb.

The charity said it had been told that all the dead cats had displayed similar symptoms of poisoning.

RSPCA inspector Stuart Wainwright said: "It is clearly very concerning to hear of a large number of cats dying in such a small geographical area.

"We are doing all we can to investigate these incidents. Seven owners have been left devastated by their loss and we do not want any more cats to have to suffer the same painful death."

Sally Webster, whose cat Poppy died of suspected poisoning last August, said: "All of these cats, they're not vermin, they're not just feral animals, they're somebody's pet and somebody loves those animals.

"To actually put poison down deliberately to kill another living creature I think is totally unnecessary."

The RSPCA is appealing for information.