A mum has told how callous joyriders killed her cat after deliberately running it over in North Edinburgh.

Rebecca Campbell has told how locals tuned up at her door to tell her the family pet, Tigger, was dead.

Tigger was killed after joyriders on motorbikes are said to be targeting pets as they recklessly ride around Pilton and Muirhouse.

The 25-year-old from Macgill Drive said: “When I first opened the door I assumed it had been an accident.

“I was devastated but when the lady told me what she had just witnessed, I couldn’t believe it. Something has to be done.

“We’ve heard about these motorbikes before but we can’t actually see them from our street. “We can hear them until all hours of the morning.

“The woman who brought Tigger back to us said she watched someone on a bike hurl straight at him.

“They hit his head so he must have died immediately. He was definitely targeted.

“We are not the first family this affected at the weekend, there was a cat hit the night before Tigger and a cat hit the night after.

“They’ve not just a killed cat, they’ve killed a family member and a beloved neighbour.

Mike Flynn, Scottish SPCA chief superintendent, said: “If this is true then it is truly appalling.

“Thankfully the majority of Scots regard cruelty towards animals as unacceptable and unthinkable, but there is a minority of people out there who think it’s acceptable to treat cats in particular like rubbish.”

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “Police in Edinburgh have received reports of cats being intentionally struck by youths riding motorcycles in the Muirhouse Green area of the city.

“Officers will progress these inquiries as part of the ongoing Operation Soteria, which targets motorcycle-related criminal activity in the Capital.

“Anyone found to be involved will be robustly dealt with and members of the public with information relating to these incidents are asked to contact police immediately.”