THREE cats have had to be euthanised after they were found poisoned in a garden in Cricklade yesterday afternoon.

The incident is not being treated as malicious, but it has been referred to the RSPCA who will be conducting enquiries into what happened.

Police were alerted at around 4pm on Friday to reports that the three pets, which belonged to separate families in the area, had to be put down.

The three cats, aged five, three, and one, belonged to families in the area of Fullers Avenue and Cherry Tree Road, and the owners have been understandably distressed by what has happened.

While the animals did not have the same owners, they would often be found together in the area, and police believe they were in the same spot when they ingested the hazardous substance, which has not yet been confirmed.

All three were found in the same garden when concerns were first raised into their health.

Sgt Donna West, of the Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade neighbourhood policing team, said the team do not believe it was a deliberate act, but are urging anyone who can shed light on the incident to contact them.

"The case has been referred to the RSPCA, who are now investigating," said Sgt West. "The owners are understandably quite distressed at having to have their pets put down.”