An Ormskirk man who took this photo of a dead cat has branded whoever killed it as 'sick b*****ds'.

Paul Ponting of Yew Tree Road spotted the dead tabby with a large stone dropped on it in the old sewage works wasteland on Blackacre Lane, off Grimshaw Lane, Ormskirk.

Paul - who also posted the story on the Ormskirk community FB page - told QLocal's Roger Blaxall: "It looks like it has been killed deliberately!

"If you know anyone who has lost a cat in the area could you let them know."

The RSPCA has now collected the cat and will no doubt check for a microchip.