Overview
- Cumbria Police say an active investigation is under way after a small cluster of fatal cat attacks in the Raffles and Richmond Green areas and a 17-year-old was arrested with a lurcher-type dog taken from an address.
- Officers have appealed for verified information to be given directly to police on 101, quoting log 174 of 25 May, or anonymously to Crimestoppers, and say door-to-door enquiries continue across the neighbourhood.
- Police told a community meeting that CCTV images circulated online show only indistinct figures and that names posted on social media cannot be corroborated by investigators.
- Residents expressed fear for pets and distress at the meeting held at Yewdale Community Centre, and officers warned that online accusations have led to false targets and could fuel vigilante behaviour.
- Cumbria Police say the suspected perpetrators are likely local rather than people travelling from elsewhere, and the case has prompted oversight and requests for updates from senior force officials.