A dad who says he found the torso of a cat that had been "beheaded" during the school run suspects it is the latest victim of the M25 cat killer.

The Bromley Common resident, who asked to be named only as James, was taking his daughter to school this morning (September 30) when she noticed the body of a black cat at the side Salisbury Road, at the Southborough Lane Junction.

Last week, a black cat's severed head was found in Hayfield Road, Orpington, and he thinks it could be linked.

James told News Shopper: "It looks like it has been beheaded and not gnawed by an animal.

"I think this may be part of a bigger picture.

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"I don't know if it's linked to the head found last week and somebody kept the body in the fridge or freezer.

"It looks like it has been discarded from a car - not like an animal attacked it.

"And I've seen cats that have been hit by cars and this is completely different.

"There is definitely a pattern here."

This is the latest in a spate of felines found dead, thought to be the work of a serial cat killer targeting the pets of south London.

South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (Snarl) have been investigating since February 2016 and have attributed 31 cat deaths to the killer.

They have identified particular hallmarks linking the attacks - the alleged killer mutilates their victims by decapitating them or cutting off their paws.

Snarl have said this cat was the victim of a road traffic accident.

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said:

"The RSPCA takes all calls about animal welfare very seriously and there is a dedicated team continuing to work closely with the police and looking into all evidence given to us surrounding cat deaths to see if there is deliberate cruelty involved.

"Every case is being looked at individually.

"Some are found to have definite links to the other deaths, but some of the cases we are called about turn out to be unconnected.

"It is too soon to say whether this particular cat, found so recently, is connected or not.

"The priority for the RSPCA is to do all we can to find out what has happened and we urge anyone with any information at all about how any of these cats died, or how they came to have their heads and tails removed, to call us on 0300 123 8018."