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Disturbing pictures show the horrific conditions inside a home where starving cats were found to be eating other pets.

Damien Beales and Robert High were given a 16-week prison sentence , suspended for 12 months, after the bodies of five decomposing cats were found inside their filthy Stoneycroft home.

It is believed that up to ten 10 other cats were left so hungry in the home, that they resorted to cannibalism .

The conviction came after the RSPCA were called by Merseyside Police to a house in Northgate Road ion May 1.

(Image: RSPCA)

Beales and High had reportedly moved out of the house just a few days before but the landlord was so shocked by the state of the house that he called police.

Inspector Claire Fisher entered the house and found rubbish piled up in all the rooms as well as piles of faeces - and amongst the filth was the decomposing bodies of five cats.

(Image: RSPCA)

Some of the cats’ bodies had been half eaten as other living ones had fed on them.

She was told the pair had taken a number of other cats with them to a new home and was concerned about their welfare.

Inspector Fisher along with officers from Merseyside Police were able to locate them to another property in Reading Street in Kirkdale and visited them that same day.

(Image: RSPCA)

Beales, 21 and 22-year-old High were found with 10 more cats at their new house which Inspector Fisher believed to be underweight.

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES

The police seized the cats under the Animal Welfare Act and Inspector Fisher took them for a veterinary examination. The vet said eight of the cats were underweight but have increased their weight in RSPCA care.

Pictures from inside the Stoneycroft home show piles of rubbish, toilet roll and the decomposed bodies of five cats scattered around the property

(Image: RSPCA)

The house reportedly smelt of faecal matter, cat urine, ammonia, decomposed animal carcases and general filth.

In her witness statement to Liverpool Magistrates Court, Inspector FIsher said: “There was a very strong smell within the premises, one of faecal matter, cat urine, ammonia, decomposed animal carcases and general filth.

“Given the combination of general conditions and having now seen the carcases of a number of cats on the living room floor, it was disturbing to consider that the men would have been stepping over or around the carcases of these cats, as they sat on the sofas daily.”

The pair, who now live in James Street, Barrow-in-Furness, were given a 16-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

They were each ordered to pay £500 costs and a £115 victim surcharge and have been banned from keeping animals for life.

Both Beales and High pleaded guilty to "failing to take such steps as were reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure the needs of animals for which you were responsible, namely domestic type cats were met to the extent required by good practice in that you failed to meet their need for a suitable environment, contrary to section 9 (1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 "

In mitigation the court was told the pair had mental health issues.