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cat butcher arrest

‘Croydon Cat Killer’ suspect is East European trucker, 31

A FIEND suspected of butchering hundreds of cats is believed to be an East European trucker.

The 31-year-old loner was arrested last month in the hunt for the “Croydon Cat Killer”.

 Rusty, whose body was left in a bag on his owner's doorstep in Northampton,
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Rusty, whose body was left in a bag on his owner's doorstep in Northampton,Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

The sadist slaughtered up to 400 animals, initially in the south London town, before striking elsewhere in the UK.

He was arrested in Duston, Northants, after five cats in the Northampton suburb had their heads severed and were left in plastic bags — similar to the horrific finds in Croydon.

Carley Dimmer, 31, of Northampton, whose cat Rusty was killed, said: “My daughter found Rusty in a see-through supermarket bag. She had been dismembered.”

Northants Police have confirmed they are liaising with Scotland Yard over the case.

 Locals believe the suspect carried out a spate of garden shed fires
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Locals believe the suspect carried out a spate of garden shed fires
 Cops believe Leo the cat is the latest victim of the 'Croydon Cat Killer'
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Cops believe Leo the cat is the latest victim of the 'Croydon Cat Killer'Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

There were also a spate of garden shed fires in Duston — which locals believe were started to smoke out cats.

The arrested man had been living in a bedsit in Duston for six months and his DNA is said to match a sample left on one of the mutilated creatures.

Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator Bob Thornton, 54, who has two cats and whose shed was torched, told how locals in Duston formed an undercover lookout squad to work alongside police officers.

He said: “We were suspicious it was someone local as all the attacks were happening between midnight and 2am. There were also about seven or eight arson attacks on sheds.

 Pet detective Bob Thornton led look-out squads on the case
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Pet detective Bob Thornton led look-out squads on the case
 Moggy Oreo was found decapitated in Surrey last year
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Moggy Oreo was found decapitated in Surrey last yearCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 Amber, pictured, was found without a head or tail in March last year
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Amber, pictured, was found without a head or tail in March last yearCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 How the Sun reported on the killings
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How the Sun reported on the killings
The notorious Croydon cat killer 'may be keeping heads and tails as trophies'

“So we worked closely with plain clothes police to patrol the area. We believed the killer was setting fire to sheds as cats might be hiding underneath them.

“About six months ago a white guy with sharp features appeared and CCTV caught him near the scene of a fire. Then he was spotted leaving the area of another one.”

"The man was released under investigation and Mr Thornton added: “There have been no attacks since.”

Mr Thornton’s son Matt became a local hero when the killer set alight sheds at their home and a neighbour’s.

Matt, 16, saw the blazes and told his mum to dial 999.

The fire brigade arrived just in time to stop Calor gas bottles exploding.

Serial cat killer could escalate crimes to attacking vulnerable women and girls, police say