A CATTERY is offering a £500 reward for information leading to the conviction of a vandal who released five cats from their premises.

Little Lions, in Holcroft Lane, Culcheth, said owners were distraught after the raid in the early hours of February 9 in which an intruder pulled back mesh on the outdoor runs and opened all the doors to free the pets. Despite extensive inquiries and steps to recover the cats only one has since been returned.

One of the cats belongs an Irlam family whose house burned down in January and their 11-year-old daughter, Shanice, is mortified.

Cattery owner Rebecca Ovinton said: "She keeps coming here crying and searching the fields, and asking to look for her cat."

The cattery has borrowed traps from the Cats Protection League to try to recover the runaway pets from surrounding fields.

The other missing four felines are Angel, an 18-month-old female tortoiseshell; Ali, a brown six-year-old tabby with half a tail;, Riley, a pure white female aged one and a half; and Lewis, a black Manx cat.

Rebecca said: "We have never heard of anything like this happening before and cannot understand how anyone could be so heartless. It is terrible for the families returning from holiday to find that their much loved pets have been lost. We are doing everything in our power to get them back. If anyone in the Leigh area has knowledge of any strays answering the descriptions we would love to hear from them."

Anyone with information can contact Little Lions on 01925 766441, while anyone with information on the intruder can ring police on 0845 458 0000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.