Cat thief suspected in 18 disappearances

NEWTON FLOTMAN, England, July 8 (UPI) -- Residents of a British village said the disappearance of 18 cats is believed to be the work of a serial cat thief.

Locals in Newton Flotman, England, said six cats went missing during the same week at the close of April and they suspect the culprit may be someone who is upset about the felines messing up a garden or chasing wild birds, The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.

"We suspect foul play. It used to be if you walked along Olive Avenue in the daytime you would see about five or six cats roaming, but now there are none," said Michael Rump, whose cat, Taz, was among those that vanished in April.

Tom Watkins, of missing pet-finding Web site Animal Search UK, said his group also believes there may be someone with a grudge against cats on the loose.

"It's a shock to discover that so many cats have gone missing from this area in such a short space of time. It indicates to us that potentially there is a cat thief," he said.

Norfolk police said they are investigating the feline disappearances.