The RSPCA lifted the lid today on a shocking wave of animal cruelty in North Yorkshire.

The charity released figures showing that both prosecutions and convictions rose dramatically in North Yorkshire and the East Riding last year.

And it revealed details of three shameful cases in the York, Harrogate and Ryedale area, involving:

Two greyhounds, which were callously tied up and drowned in a cattle trough in a field at Osbaldwick.

A Siamese cat called Raquel, which was left scarred and arthritic for life after being beaten and scalded by her Harrogate owners.

A horse, which was found dead and in foal at a Pickering knackers yard only days after her owner had been warned about her condition, caused by inadequate food and shelter. A pony found in a terrible condition at the same time eventually made a good recovery.

The society said that convictions across the north-east region rose by an alarming 23 per cent from 570 in 1997 to 798 last year - a quarter of the total convictions for the entire country.

In North Yorkshire and the East Riding, prosecutions rose from 33 to 46, and convictions leapt from 51 to 353, although that figure was skewed by a large number of sheep involved in one particular cruelty case. Written cautions were also up from three to four.

But despite the rise in convictions, the society remains frustrated over the difficulties in bringing some cases to court, including the greyhound cruelty.

Chief Inspector Paul Stilgoe said concerned passers-by had rung the RSPCA after spotting the corpse of a dog floating in the trough at Osbaldwick.

But the society had been unable to prove who owned the animals and launch a prosecution.

One dog was tattooed - the standard method of identification for racing greyhounds - but this was not a recognised form of identification and could not be used in legal proceedings.

"This case illustrates the need for compulsory microchipping of pets - the painless insertion of tiny chips into the neck which can be scanned to reveal an identification code - which would allow the perpetrators of animal cruelty to be brought to justice," he said.

The society was able to prosecute the owners of Raquel after proving she had been repeatedly beaten and scalded at least twice. Two people were found guilty of cruelty, one of whom was jailed for three months.

In the case of the dead horse, the society again had difficulty proving ownership.

However, a traveller later admitted causing unnecessary suffering and was banned from keeping animals for life.

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