Eight-year-old Jazz was found on Wednesday evening by a couple out walking in Whinney Lane, Euxton, strung from a man's leather belt and dangling inches above a stream.

The petrified tortoise-shell cat was rescued just in time and is now safety back with her owners, Janet and Stuart Polden, from Astley Village.

Police have taken the belt away for forensic evidence and are investigating the incident.

Mr and Mrs Polden got a telephone call at 7.20pm on Wednesday night to say Jazz, who still had her collar with contact details on it attached, had been found strung between two wooden posts from a bridge over the river, with the leather belt acting as a noose.

Mary and Edward Howes live locally and were out walking when the found the cat.

Mary, 53, who has a cat herself, described her shock at discovering the 'torture' scene along the rural road off Euxton Lane.

She said: "Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to set this bizarre mechanism up because it was difficult to get to.

"It is a bit sinister and a horrible thing to do. The cat was scared and really started screaming it was so distressed and in a great deal of pain.

"I cannot imagine who would do something like this. My husband had to climb over the barrier and free the cat which was dangling inches from the stream, with no-where to go but into the water.

"It was such a long way from home, I'm a cat lover and know what the owners are going through."

A relieved but angry Mrs Polden, 42, said: "We've been out to the scene and this is not the work of children, which makes this even worse. It is pre-meditated and I dread to think what would have happened if the couple hadn't found her.

"Jazz is at home now and seems fine. We've had her checked out by the vets and she's now been microchipped. We have three cats, the other two don't go further than the back garden, but Jazz comes and goes as she feels.

"It keeps playing over and over in my mind who would do something like that.

"This is a very strange thing to do and now I don't want to let her out of my sight."

A police spokesman confirmed: "Police have been contacted and are aware the incident."

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