The brutal killing of a cat in Walthamstow has sparked fears the so-called “M25 cat killer” has been operating in the area.

The body of a 17-year-old male cat, thought to have died on Sunday evening (September 4), was discovered by its owners on Monday.

The animal had been beheaded and left in the owner’s garden, one of the trademarks associated with the killer, who is thought to have dismembered and slaughtered more than 100 cats.

Volunteers from charity South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (SNARL), who have been assisting police and the RSPCA during the spate of killings, attended the home on Wednesday.

Tony Jenkins, of SNARL, said the incident bore all the hallmarks of the twisted killer's work.

Mr Jenkins said: “He may come back to Walthamstow, there may have already been other incidents in the area and people are not aware of exactly what has happened yet.

“We need people to know this is a serial cat killer, who is killing three or four cats a week. He is travelling all over London and he can strike anywhere.

“I would not be surprised if more people come forward in Waltham Forest and realise this is what happened to their cat as well.”

“We ask people to try to keep their cat indoors, especially at night, only let them out under supervision and be vigilant.

“If a cat is found and it has been beheaded, or its tail or limbs are missing and it looks like a clean cut, call the police.”

Police began investigating what was originally referred to as the “Croydon cat killer” in November 2015, following a spate of deaths in the area.

However, attacks have since spread out across London and the south east, with SNARL reporting incidents in Finchley, Tottenham and Stepney, as well as Guildford in Surrey and Maidstone in Kent.

The killer has since been dubbed the "M25 cat killer", due to a theory they were travelling around the London Orbital motorway carrying out attacks.

Last month, a 20-year-old cat from Walthamstow survived an attack, in which vets say his tail was severed with a “clean cut”.

The RSPCA said it was too early to confirm whether the Walthamstow incident was linked to other killings, but the death was being investigated.

A spokesman said: “The RSPCA takes all calls about animal welfare very seriously.

“There is a dedicated team continuing to work closely with the police and looking into all evidence given to us surrounding cat deaths to see if there is deliberate cruelty involved.

“Some are found to have definite links to the other deaths, but some of the cases we are called about turn out to be unconnected.”

“It is too soon to say whether this particular cat, found so recently, is connected or not.”

Anyone who finds the body of a cat with its head or limbs missing is asked to call SNARL on: 07961 030064.

Anyone with information on the killings should contact the RSPCA on: 0300 123 8018 or Met police via the 101 non-emergency number.