M25 cat killer 'slaughters two more pets on Christmas Day' as charity says he's left the bodies of 400 animals in plain sight to 'horrify' people

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The M25 cat killer who is thought to have killed around 400 cats and small animals, leaving their maimed bodies in the open to 'horrify' people, killed two more cats on Christmas Day. 

The killer, who began his reign of terror in Croydon, South London back in 2014, is believed to have killed and maimed around 400 animals around a 117-mile stretch of the M25 motorway.

It is believed he has killed more than 300 cats, but has also targeted pet rabbits as well as wild deer, squirrels and foxes - often killing and dismembering them using a machete or garden sheers. 

The feline on the left lost her paw to the Croydon cat killer and five-month-old Storm (right) was found headless in Staines

Bertie, 12, was one of the Croydon Cat Killer's victims. His headless body was found in Surrey

The deaths have been logged by South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (Snarl), who have been helping police with their investigations under Operation Takahe, said the latest victims were found on Christmas Day.

One of the cats was found in Carshalton, South London, with the other just a mile away in Wallington, South London - both just three miles away from Croydon where the serial cat killer first struck.

Detectives believe the killer tempts the cats with treats before blundgeoning them to death with sharp objects. It is thought he then waits for at least 30 minutes to allow the blood to coagulate before he mutilates them, often cutting off paws, tails and heads. 

There is no blood trail at the scene, leading police to believe the animals are taken away to be dismembered before the killer returns to dump their bodies back at the scene of where they were killed.

A spokesman for Snarl said: 'Two cats were found on Christmas Day, within a short distance of each other, one in Carshalton and the other in Wallington.

'The death of the cat in Carshalton is confirmed as part of the Operation Takahe series (and the) Wallington (attack) is under investigation as a suspicious death, possibly linked.

'Both families have no desire to have their locations or identities made public.

'We would like to thank officers from Surrey who went out and attended whilst we were out of London.'

'Rest in peace little ones.' 

Tony Jenkins, Snarl co-founder, said: 'The display of the bodies is his form of boasting.

'Sometimes he removes a head and tail and sometimes he cuts them in half.

'Eventually he'll make a mistake - we can't let it go, as long as he keeps killing we'll keep going.'

He added: 'I think the motive is to horrify humans.

'Why else would you get a fox and cut its head completely off and then place the body pointing to the children's playground not 10 metres away.

'It is definitely an attack on humans, to terrify humans.'

Detective Sergeant Andy Collin, who is leading the hunt for the killer, said there was a concern he would soon 'get bored' of killing animals and turn his attention to killing humans, particularly lone women. 

He said: 'The concern we have is that...at some stage he'll escalate or feel brave enough to move on to vulnerable women and girls, either elderly or very young women.'

The Metropolitan Police released details of a 'prime suspect' in August after a man was spotted acting suspiciously in Caterham, Surrey. 

The suspect was a man in his 40s, with short brown hair, dressed in dark clothing with possible acne scarring to his face, wearing a headlamp or carrying a torch.

A £10,000 reward for the capture of the killer is on the table. 

It is understood by Snarl that the killer is a white man in his 40s, who lives in Croydon - due to his ease operating around the suburb