IT was a cruel act that almost beggars belief. This little kitten was starved, shoved into a carrier bag full of water and then hurled down a rubbish chute in a Hampshire block of flats.

The tiny creature fought hard for life, miaowing so loudly that she was heard by residents.

But moments after she was rescued the fluffy pet who was less than two weeks old lost her fight.

Now the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has launched an investigation and is conducting door-to door inquiries to find the killer.

The kitten was found in a plastic bag after resident Graeme Coombes heard her cries at the block in Woolford Close, Stanmore, Winchester.

Mr Coombes, a self-employed window cleaner, said: "I was in the bin for five minutes before I found her. I looked through a lot of bags.

"We phoned the RSPCA straight away. I picked it up and give it a cuddle. I put it down and my mother-in-law said 'it's gone'. It stopped miaowing and wasn't moving. I was virtually in tears when it died.

"Whoever did this needs shooting. All my family have had cats. People who can do this shouldn't be on this planet. People living around here are shocked about it and the fact that it could be someone living nearby."

Sue Langridge, a care agency manager, of Chesil Street, Winchester, said: "It is a disgrace. I cannot believe that anybody could be so cruel.

"If they are caught they should have any pets confiscated. They are incapable of looking after them."

An RSPCA spokesman said the kitten was less than two weeks old. "Someone has taken the kitten put it in a carrier bag, filled it with water to try to drown it and then stuffed it down the rubbish chute.

"There is no excuse for extreme behaviour. This animal would have suffered."

The RSPCA probe is being led by Insp Jan Edwards who is concerned that there could be other vulnerable kittens in the litter and possibly a sick mother.

The charity is appealing for people with information to call the cruelty hotline on 08705 555999.

A post-mortem examination revealed there was no medical explanation for the kitten's emaciation. It was difficult to determine the exact cause of death. Its age and vulnerability would have made it unable to cope with the trauma and the cold of the attempted drowning and the fall down the chute.