By TOM LAWRENCE
Published: | Updated:
A parish councillor has resigned after he was accused of trying to blow up a neighbour’s cat.
James Garnor has stepped down from his post as a parish councillor in Whittlebury, Northamptonshire, after a video emerged of his neighbour’s cat being caught in an explosion.
Suki, the 11-year-old tabby, was left with singed whickers after stepping on a bird table moments before the blast.
Mr Garnor allegedly use remote-controlled devices to create the explosion.
Now a statement from Whittlebury Parish Council said Mr Garnor had ‘resigned on Friday February 7, with immediate effect’.
The council added: ‘We understand the concerns raised by the community and want to assure everyone that we take all matters of animal welfare seriously.’
Police were alerted about the April 2023 attack.
While Mr Garnor attended a voluntary interview and was shown footage of the incident, Northamptonshire Police decided there was insufficient evidence to press criminal charges. Instead, the matter was dealt with under anti-social behaviour legislation.
A family cat in a quaint Northamptonshire village has been left traumatised after allegedly being targeted in a firework attack by a local parish councillor
Nikki the owner of the attacked cat, Suki, has spoken about the disturbing effect the attack has had on the animal who suffered visible injuries such as singed whiskers
Suki’s owner – known only as Nikki – told The Telegraph: ‘To me, this is like Jeffrey Dahmer kind of stuff… I felt physically sick.’
She added: ‘[Suki] used to come and sit for hours, cuddling and playing… Now she very rarely comes near you.’
Opinions over the incident have divided the village. One woman even claimed the matter had been ‘blown out of proportion’.
Others, including local resident Amelia, said Mr Garnor’s actions were irresponsible. ‘He’s supposed to set an example,’ she said. ‘It’s clear from the footage that this was no accident.’
The motivation for the explosions remains unclear, but some in the village believe Garnor was acting on a neighbour’s request to deter cats from stealing food meant for birds.
Opinions within the village are divided. Some locals, noting the disruption caused by cats in the area, argue Mr Garnor shouldn’t be overly penalised, especially since no serious harm was done to the animals.
The shocking incident, captured on video, shows the cat being blasted after stepping into a birdhouse rigged with explosives
The attack is believed to have been carried out by Councillor James Garnor, and is one of at least two such occurrences that took place in the village of Whittlebury
One woman even claimed the matter had been ‘blown out of proportion.’
Yet others, including local resident Amelia, insist Garnor’s actions were utterly irresponsible, particularly given his position as a local councillor.
‘He’s supposed to set an example,’ she said, ‘it’s clear from the footage that this was no accident. He was sitting there waiting with the detonator, and the cat was deliberately lured to the birdhouse.’
Mr Garnor has not commented.