A cat’s eye was blasted out of his head with an airgun by heartless thugs in Harold Hill.

The ginger male, who the RSPCA have named Solo, was found with his right eye hanging out, in North Hill Drive, on Thursday March 15.

He was taken to the RSPCA’s Harmsworth Memorial animal hospital, in London, where vets removed the eye.

Animal welfare officer, Siobhan Trinnaman, said: “He has made a good recovery and is getting used to judging distances with only one eye.

“Solo may also have problems with judging depth so he may have trouble scaling fences and walls in the future.”

Siobhan says at first she thought Solo had been involved in a fight with another animal.

“It was only when the vet started operating that we realised he had been shot with an air rifle,” she said. “He is such a nice-natured cat he wouldn’t have been picking fights and it’s important that we get any information we can on who has been using air rifles in the area.

“Shooting an animal is a serious and illegal offence”.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the RSPCA cruelty and information line on 0300 1234 999.

Calls will be treated in confidence.

Unfortunately Solo’s owner in Romford could not be found so he is now one of 500 cats looking for homes in the South East region.

If you think you can provide a good home for a cat please call us on 0300-123-8484.