A YORK pet lover has spoken of her distress after her five-year-old cat was shot at close range with an air rifle in a spiteful attack.

Sara Thorn, 35, was shocked to discover her pet Molly crying with pain at her home in Bismarck Street, Leeman Road, with a serious wound to her leg.

She rushed the black cat to a vet who discovered that Molly had suffered a leg fracture after an air gun pellet travelled through her shoulder and lodged in her elbow. RSPCA officers have now launched an investigation into last Tuesday's shooting which has left Molly confined to a cage as she recovers.

Ms Thorn, who works for City of York Council and owns two other cats, said she never thought such attacks could happen in York.

She said: "I was desperately upset. As a cat owner you feel responsible for the animals and that they rely on you and then something like this happens.

"I've got past the stage of being angry and upset and now I just want people to be educated about the consequences of their actions."

RSPCA inspector Justin LeMasurier said: "Molly has been caused great physical and psychological suffering as a result of this attack. I cannot understand how some people can get sick pleasure out of using animals as target practice. Have they got any idea of the pain and suffering they cause, not just to the animal but to the owner too?"

The RSPCA has campaigned for a number of years on the use of air weapons and welcomed news in January that their unsupervised use by people aged under 17 would be banned.

Mr LeMasurier has urged members of the public who might know anything about the shooting in the Bismarck Street area, at about 5.30pm last Tuesday, to phone 08705 555999.

Updated: 10:49 Tuesday, November 18, 2003