CCTV footage shows man throwing cat across road in 'disgusting' attack in Litherland

Warning: This article contains footage of animal abuse.

CCTV footage has captured the moment a man grabs an "old and frail" cat and throws it across a street in Merseyside.The incident happened at around 1pm on Tuesday, 12 April on Palmerston Drive in Litherland.

In the distressing video, a man in dark clothing stops when he sees a black cat sitting on a wall behind a wheelie bin.He then appears to reach over to stroke the animal before violently throwing it across the street.

The unknown man continues to walk away after the unprovoked attack, which left the pet visibly distressed.

The cat's owners, who have asked to remain anonymous, said a woman living on their street told them she saw a man hurting a cat and said to check their CCTV.When they looked through the footage they were shocked and angry to discover that it was their nine-year-old pet in the footage.One of the owners said: "My sister couldn’t stop crying after seeing the video and I think my parents were more shocked and angry. "Lily is known in the street for always being outside and sitting in the neighbours' plant pot. I really hope it hasn’t affected her going outside. She’s really old and frail too."I’ve moved out and have two cats myself and would be distraught if something like that happened to mine, so close to our home where they should be safe."The family has sent the footage to Merseyside Police and have now made the decision to keep their pet indoors.