Sickening moment vile thug drop kicks defenceless cat and then hurls it into parked car

Animal welfare officers are investigating social media footage that shows a man drop kicking a cat in the street.

The cruel moment was filmed on a mobile phone in south London and has sparked outrage online.

It shows the man in a white shirt and tie picking up the cat from a wall outside a house.

He then turns towards the camera and volleys the animal as if it were a football towards a nearby parked car.

Animal welfare officers from the RSPCA are appalled at the footage and have launched an investigation into the incident.

The charity's assistant director of inspectorate Dermot Murphy said he was concerned the black and white cat may have suffered severe injuries.

He said: "It is completely unacceptable to treat a cat in this way and it could well have suffered some severe injuries from such a brutal kick.

"We understand that such acts of cruelty can be very upsetting and emotive, and we would urge anyone who does recognise the culprit or the area to pass the information onto us, and not be tempted to act on it themselves."

Anyone with information can call the RSPCA emergency telephone line on 0300 1234 999.