Police have revealed that they have had no evidence to suggest that cats are being stolen or mistreated on a large scale.

Officers at Suffolk police have had only six incidents reported since August 1 involving cats believed to be intentionally killed or injured in the Ipswich and Stowmarket area, as well as an additional seven incidents of dogs attacking cats and one incident of a cat being attacked by a cat.

Five dead cats have also been reported to the police in that time, although no evidence of mistreatment was found.

Sergeant Mark Thomas, from Ipswich South East Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “We understand the distress and upset caused when a cat is missing or lost, but officers are only able to investigate if a criminal offence has taken place.

However, concerns had been raised by members of the Facebook group Ipswich Missing Cats that information handed to the police, including a USB containing CCTV footage of a woman who appears to put a cat in a waiting car nearby, was not being investigated.

Deni Parkes, from Ipswich Missing Cats, said: “We are still waiting for feedback from the police about what they plan to do.“We as a team understand completely cats go missing, or are injured, but it is frustrating when we forward information, are working hard to establish what is happening with the missing cats which continues to rise, to be met with silence.”To date, the Facebook group has recorded 210 cats as missing from Ipswich and Stowmarket, although 10 have subsequently returned home.A police spokesman added that officers are continuing to investigate the CCTV footage, and liaise with the RSPCA, vets and Highways Agency.