FREE Press readers unleashed a torrent of condemnation this week towards those responsible for dumping a helpless kitten at a recycling centre.

The story on the Free Press website and on the front page of the South Bucks Star provoked a number of angry comments calling for witnesses to come forward and for the perpetrators to be "eaten by fly larvae".

The helpless animal was abandoned in a skip at High Heavens in Clay Lane, Booker. Volunteers from Marjorie Nash Cat Rescue were called and attempted to save the kitten, but it was beyond help.

On the website 'Bernard' from High Wycombe said: "This made my stomach turn. How is it possible that in this day and age someone can get away with doing something like this?

"If you are reading this and you know who did this, then I would suggest this person gets some serious help as it is well known that most multiple murderers abused and killed animals when they were younger."

A suggestion that the cat was feral and lived in the skip was discredited by 'local', who said: "I would very much doubt that somehow as the article clearly mentions a flea collar, blanket and toys."

Kim Ashford, a volunteer at the Marjorie Nash charity, was horrified at the animal's condition. She said: "It hasn't just been left to die, it's been suffering abuse since the day it was born. It's horrific. We've all been having trouble sleeping since."

The cat was suffering from a condition called flystrike, more commonly found in rabbits. It means that flies laid their eggs on the kitten, which then hatched and entered the animal's body.

At first the volunteers were hopeful the young animal would survive, before it became clear how ill the kitten was.

Janet Hill went to retrieve the kitten from the site. She said: "It was so cold - the poor little thing wouldn't lift its head up. It was just motionless. The men were worried that it wasn't going to live. They are very caring up there."

Kim said she hopes people will be on the lookout for cases of animal cruelty in the future. She said: "People need to be more vigilant, and not be afraid to report it. The general feeling is that there appears to be a worrying rise in cruelty in this area."

She has appealed for the public to report any cases of cruelty they come across.

Marjorie Nash said: "Nothing shocks me. I have been doing this for 25 years and we come across these awful situations from time to time.

"It is a terrifying place for this kitten to be left."