A "SICK" individual brutally cut a cat's head off and left the body in woods behind a housing estate.

Police are investigating after ten-year-old Jiji was found decapitated in woods behind Dean Gardens in Portslade and vets said she had not been attacked by another animal.

Owners Andrew and Yoko Coleman have been devastated by the violent act and Jiji's gruesome death has been reported to police and the RSPCA.

Mr Coleman said: "We loved that cat so much.

"My wife doesn't have any children of her own and thinks of her as her baby.

"We got a phone call on Monday night from a vet

"She had gone missing on Saturday but we didn't really think it was strange as she quite often stays out at night when the weather's nice.

"She had been found in the woods and had been decapitated.

"I asked the vet whether there was any chance it had been done by a fox and she said someone has done this to her.

"We'd had her for ten years and then this happens.

"She didn't used to cross the road so I'm sure she would have gone on to live another ten years."

A member of the public found Jiji on Monday evening and called New Priory vets.

The vet - who then broke the awful news to Mr Coleman - would not let Jiji's owners see her maimed body because her injuries were too upsetting.

Jiji's death follows another cat being found dead in Hangleton Park with its tail cut off in February.

Councillor Nick Lewry said: "It's some sick individual out there.

"I can't imagine why anyone would do anything like this and its awful to have it happening on our doorsteps.

"People need to be warned about letting their pets out at night.

"There have been a number of really horrible incidents involving cats recently and we have been talking to police and vets.

"We had a cat that's tail had been severed in February and it died as a result and I have been in talks with police about people with catapults taking shots at cats and birds in Hangleton Park."

Sussex Police urged anyone with any information about who was responsible for Jiji's death to call 101 quoting serial 347 of 24/05.