A PET cat was burned alive in a wheelie bin by yobs in a drunken prank in Tottington.

The sick gang of teenagers even tied down the lid to prevent the terrified animal from escaping as it caught fire.

The horrific attack was only discovered by the cat's owner three days after a 30-strong mob of drunken teenage boys and girls were seen dragging a burning brown bin onto Kirklees Trail last Friday evening.

Now, shocked residents and councillors are urging anyone with information about the sickening incident to inform the police.

Mr Tony Sprason said: "What kind of monsters is this so-called modern society breeding?"

His wife Mary had comforted the cat's owner when they both discovered the animal's body in the bin on Monday.

Mr Sprason said: "These mindless thugs captured a cat, put it in the bin and then set it alight, burning the poor creature alive.

"Needless to say, its owner, who had been searching for his pet, was beside himself when he realised the true horror. He was devastated."

Mr Sprason said he called the police on Friday night when the gang of teenagers turned up at the lower end of Laurel Street and started snapping branches off trees. They then dragged a burning wheelie bin along the Kirklees Trail path but disappeared before officers arrived.

"The following morning I came across the bin beneath the bridge at Kirklees. The lid had been tied down but at that time I didn't give it too much thought," said Mr Sprason.

"On Monday, however, Mary had taken our dog for a walk along the trail when she came across a man looking for his cat.

"They walked together for a while until they came to the bin. A burned cat was hanging out of a hole in the melted bin. It was his cat.

"The man and my wife were both in tears at the savagery of what had obviously taken place. The man took the bin away with him so he could bury his pet. It is heartbreaking."

Tottington councillor Yvonne Wright said: "This is horrific. If these teenagers can do this to a defenceless animal, what else are they capable of? Parents who had children out in Tottington last week should be questioning them very carefully. We don't want this in our town."

Inspector Bryn Williams, head of Ramsbottom and Tottington Police, described the attack as "very disturbing" and said the incident would be investigated thoroughly.

He said: "What happened to this defenceless cat is bound to be a topic of conversation among local children so I would urge anyone with information on the culprits to ring us in confidence to help us bring them to justice."

Anyone who knows the culprits should contact Bury Police on (0161) 872 5050 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.