A GENEROUS animal lover has offered a reward for the conviction of a “disgusting yob” who shot and killed a cat.

Marc Trussler, ten, found his pet Tinx howling in agony near his family home, in Vaughan Williams Road, Laindon, after just returning from school.

The five-year-old cat was rushed to the vets by Marc’s mum, Karen Richardson, last Wednesday, March 6, with its eye bulging out and becoming blood shot.

They carried out emergency treatment, but Tinx sadly died on Thursday morning.

Lloyd Muse, 51, of London Road, Westcliff, felt so incensed by the crime he is offering £100 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the criminal.

He said: “It’s disgusting yobbish behaviour. It’s cowardly to shoot a cat and the punishment they get doesn’t fit the crime.

“It shouldn’t come to this, but what have the police got to go on? However, the type of person who did this will be shouting ‘guess what I’ve done’ and bragging about it.”

Karen Richardson, who owned Tinx, said: “That has really touched me. There aren’t many people out there like this and for Mr Muse to want to do something like this for someone he has never met – I think it’s brilliant.”

Police are treating the attack as animal cruelty.

Anyone with information should call Basildon police on 101.