A £1,000 reward has been offered to catch cat killers targeting pets in North Somerset.

So far 29 have been killed in Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon and Bridgwater in Somerset and a 30th victim has had a lucky escape.

RSPCA investigators say the cats died after drinking anti-freeze, which they believe could have been deliberately put down to harm them.

Judy Ware, from Clevedon, North Somerset, noticed her pet cat Watson vomiting this month and rushed him to the vet.

He survived after treatment for ingesting anti-freeze – but Ms Ware and her family have already lost two cats in previous poisoning incidents.

The 44-year-old said: "It can't be coincidence."

Nine cats died recently on the Bournville estate in Weston after consuming anti-freeze and 19 were killed in nearby Bridgwater over the summer months, all found with anti-freeze in their stomachs.

When cats drink anti-freeze they may suffer symptoms such as shakiness, sickness or foaming at the mouth. This usually leads to kidney failure and death.

National animal charity PETA has offered £1,000 to anyone with information which helps catch and convict the culprits.

The charity is also urging pet owners to keep their cats indoors until the mystery has been solved.

Suzanne Barnard, spokesman for PETA, said: "Animal abusers are cowards. They take their issues out on the most defenceless beings available to them."

RSPCA spokesman Jo Barr said: "The worst case scenario is that someone is deliberately targeting the animals in this horrendous way and the fact that this number of cats have now been affected is extremely worrying. We can't say for certain that it is deliberate and it could be that someone has been working on a car nearby and anti-freeze has escaped."