A cat has been found hanged from a tree in what has been called an “absolutely disgusting” crime.

The tabby cat was discovered in a back garden in Caraway Close, Canning Town, yesterday.

Celia Hammond, from the Celia Hammond Animal Trust, told how the charity received a call at around 5pm and rushed over to try and save the cat, which was hanging from what appeared to be black plastic binding.

“She had shredded her claws, and we could see she had been trying to save herself scrabbling against the tree,” said Celia, who added the cat was dead when her team arrived.

“We had thought that the collar had got caught on the branch initially, but this was deliberate.

“It was tied tightly around the neck and around the tree.”

Staff visited neighbouring properties to warn other cat owners to keep an eye on their pets following the incident.

Celia said: “The woman’s absolutely devastated. We gave her two sisters about a year ago and the remaining sister is really sad and very quiet.

“If someone’s capable of doing that, what else are they capable of doing?”

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman confirmed that they had been called to the scene and that enquiries were ongoing.