Nearly 300 reports of intentional cruelty against animals were filed in Sussex last year, the RSCPA has confirmed.

The number of reports of beatings, mutilations, poisoning and killings have been on the rise in the county according to the charity.

Data released from the RSPCA recorded 159 reports of harm in East Sussex in 2022 and 137 in West Sussex. The stats are in line with a 14 per cent rise nationally.

Patrick Hamby, RSPCA chief inspector for Sussex, said: “Right now, animal cruelty is happening in England and Wales on a massive scale and rising and sadly the number of cruelty incidents in Sussex are also too high. It is heartbreaking that we are seeing figures which show animal cruelty is, very sadly, on the rise.

“While we don’t know for certain why there has been an increase in reports of cruelty, the cost-of-living crisis and the post-pandemic world we live in has created an animal welfare crisis with more people getting pets with potentially less time and money to care for them.

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“Each year, these reports of cruelty reach its terrible annual peak in the summer months – when nationally we receive a report of an animal being beaten on average every hour of every day.

“The cost-of-living crisis also means the cost of rescuing animals is at an all-time high and our vital services are stretched to the limit.”

Incidents included in the report include two kittens who died after being thrown out of a moving car on the A259 just yards from a vets.

The two eight-week old kittens were found with severe head injuries described as consistent with being thrown at speed from a moving vehicle.

The statistics also found that animal cruelty appears to peak in the summer months, however the charity theorizes that this is only because it is more visible due to people being outside more.

Other figures in the report include that nearly 80 per cent of cruelty complaints come from the beating of animals which peaked in August, 2022.