The RSPCA is investigating an incident at a hotel in Wales following claims that a cat was killed on the premises.

Officers from the animal protection organisation spoke with hotel staff on Saturday, after rumours spread online that the feral animal had been beaten to death with a rolling pin.

Hotel manager Glen Evans expressly denied this, telling the Daily Post that staff had spent eight hours trying to capture the animal: “I can confirm the cat was not killed by a rolling pin, which has been said on social media," he said.

“The cat wasn’t a kitten. It was a young cat and had been hanging around for a couple of days and probably got into the hotel premises because it has been very cold recently.

“The staff dealt with an unexpected situation which represented a significant health and safety hazard."