THE infamous cat killer case, which made headlines on the Isle of Wight when a cat was found decapitated in Sandown, has been put to bed by the Metropolitan Police.

Police said the gruesome killings, which involved cats being mutilated, often with heads and tails removed, were not the work of a serial killer, but foxes were to blame.

However, a number of vets that have carried out post-mortem examinations on the cats have spoken out, saying the injuries were too clean and precise to be attributed to predation or scavenging by wildlife.

Charity South Norwood Animal Rescue League (SNARL) who have been working to catch the cat killer and have arranged many post-mortem examinations, also disagree with the police.

Met Police opened the investigation in November 2015, after reports of mutilated cats in Croydon and the surrounding area.

Since then, reports have cropped up all over the south and hundreds were collated into one investigation.

Police said no evidence of human involvement was found in any of the reported cases — there were no witnesses, no identifiable patterns and no forensic leads that pointed to human involvement. Witness statements were taken, but no suspect was identified.

In three instances where CCTV was obtained, footage showed foxes carrying bodies or body-parts of cats.

All of the hundreds of cases of cat mutilation will be recorded as ‘no crime’.

Following the police announcement, A SNARL spokesperson said: "The cats who have been decapitated have had their heads removed in exactly the same manner and place each time.

"We find it difficult to understand how foxes can replicate this perfectly across a range of victims across a vast geographical area.

"What has also not been explained is why we have no cases in Scotland or Wales, Devon, East Anglia, Suffolk, Rutland, etc., given that we have rescue and lost and found contacts there who would notify us if bodies were found.

"In West Wickham, a cat’s collar was returned five months after the cat was killed. That’s not foxes.

"In Watford, a rabbit was killed and six months later, his head was returned to his garden and found by his owner. It was pristine and looked like it had just happened. That’s not foxes.

"We have taken a collective decision to continue with the investigation."

A spokesperson for Streatham Hill Vets said: "We have had several of these bodies brought in to us.

"They have all consisted of clean, surgical type amputations or beheadings.

"They were not done by foxes or wild animals.

"It is exceptionally rare for a fox to attack a cat and they should not be used as scapegoats for these horrific crimes."

A vet at Whiteley Village Vet Centre Ltd said: "Very disappointed about the Mets decision to drop the cat killer case, ascribing the deaths to foxes and cars.

"There is absolutely no way that foxes or cars made the precise incisions that were on the victims.

"Very glad to say that the case is still being privately investigated by SNARL, as until foxes learn to drive and handle scalpels and shears, they are certainly not the responsible parties.

"Keep your cats and rabbits safe — the monster is out there."

A spokesperson for Grove Lodge Veterinary Group said: "We have sadly had to examine a number of these poor animals and we feel professionally that these animals have not been killed by foxes/other wild animals.

"The wounds are very clean and clinical and consistent with human intervention.

"We hope that the Met reconsider their decision to close this case and that the perpetrator is caught soon."

Frontline policing commander Amanda Pearson said: “On average, the Met receives over 1,000 calls each month relating to animals and animal welfare.

“We understand the reason for this — people trust the police to help them when they suspect others have done wrong, fear for their own safety or simply are facing situations that they are unable to handle themselves.

“We will always assist the public in an emergency, but I would urge people to report concerns relating to animal welfare in the first instance to the RSPCA.

“The decision was made to allocate a large number of similar reports of mutilated cats to the officers who were investigating the initial spate of such allegations. In particular, they were following up the six suspicious cases identified by the post-mortem examinations.

“While this increased the workload of those officers, it significantly reduced the resources that would have been required for different officers in different units to record and assess each allegation separately.

“It is this collating of reports that enabled officers to work with experts and reach the conclusion that no further police investigations are required into any of the allegations relating to mutilated cats.”