An animal charity has shared footage of a man approaching a cat in a street amid fears it could have been snatched as bait.

Animals Lost and Found in Kent posted the CCTV on their Facebook page after it was filmed near Plantation Drive, St Mary Cray.

The man can be seen sneaking up on the pet before running away when the cat scarpers.

A man is seen sneaking up on a pet cat

Natasha McPhee, a director at the Gillingham based charity, said: "The cctv footage shows the man approaching the cat which initially doesn't look menacing in any way, however the fact that he runs away like he did shows he was up to no good.

"There are several reasons as to why an individual would try and steal a cat. For dog fighting, for ransom money, to kill or hurt the cat, to upset the owners or stolen to order.

"Unfortunately we don't know why yet, the police are looking into it."

• Recent figures reveal the scale of dog fighting in Kent
• Escaped animals, unusual finds and news from the RSPCA can all be found here