CHILDREN are injuring animals and sharing videos of their suffering for their amusement, the RSPCA has revealed.

The animal charity said they had seen the number of cases of cruelty shared on the social media platform Snapchat tripled in the last two years.

The charity has received 119 calls relating to Snapchat cruelty so far this year - including at least two in East Sussex.

Horrific videos shared by youngsters included a guinea pig thrown down the stairs; a tortoise fed drugs; a goldfish’s eye cut out; a squirrel set on fire and a fox cub’s throat slit.

In response to the shock rise in cases - up from 69 last year and just 27 in 2015, the RSPCA is calling for better animal welfare education in schools.

An RSPCA intelligence officer who has to remain anonymous because of the nature of his job said: “While many of these videos shows acts of animal cruelty that are at the lower end of severity - such as teenagers chasing geese or throwing stones at birds - a worrying number of them show serious acts of brutality.

“When you consider that Snapchat is particularly popular with children and young teenagers, it’s particularly troubling that they could easily be witnessing animals being beaten, tortured and even killed in graphic detail.

“Not only are young people seeing these heinous acts but, most of the time, it is also young people who are witnessed in the videos carrying out these sickening incidents or are often the ones who share them.”

In one of the sick videos - parts of which are pictured above - a goldfish was seen having its eye cut out. Investigators were never able to trace those responsible.

In another brutal case a squirrel was seen being set on fire and hit with a rock. Investigators traced the video to a school in Kent where pupils and their parents were spoken to.

A fox’s throat was slit in another video - which is far too graphic to show. RSPCA officer plan to visit a school in Gloucestershire following the incident.

Dave Allen, head of education and advice at the RSPCA, added: “We’re not out to prosecute these children but we will act when we are aware of violence against an animal or any form of cruelty.

“The increase in the number of these shocking videos on Snapchat shows that there is a culture of cruelty developing on these social media platforms and it’s important that we work with other agencies to put a stop to that.

“That’s why the RSPCA would like to see animal welfare included as part of the National Curriculum.”

To help the RSPCA continue investigating complaints of cruelty, go to: www.rspca.org.uk/give