A pet cat had to be put down after being mauled by a vicious dog.

Lucky, an eight-year-old black and white cat, suffered several bites during the attack in Pevensey Gardens, Hullbridge.

Two teenagers were reversing their car into the road when they saw the dog attacking Lucky.

After they had pulled the dog away, they rushed it to Chimes Medicentre, in Danbury.

Police were called but despite them knowing where the dog lived, they were powerless to take action because a person had not been hurt in the attack.

Lucky's owner, Colin McNeill, 38, said: "It was horrific to have to put him down.

"I was travelling back from Buckinghamshire, but my mum called me to tell me what had happened.

"I went down to the vet, who told me I had to let him go because he was getting worse.

"I can't believe police cannot do anything unless it injures a child or something."

A post mortem confirmed Lucky's injuries were caused by a dog.

Koot Kringer, head vet at Chimes Medicentre, said: "I don't have much doubt in my mind as to what caused the injuries. Nothing else is going to have teeth set as wide as that and no cat or fox would be able to do that. It had to be a large dog."

Police confirmed the incident had been reported and both the dog owner and the cat owner had been visited.

Alan Jones, spokesman for Essex Police, said: "The officer visited the owner of the cat and explained to him that in this sort of circumstance the law regards incidents of this sort, an attack by an animal on another animal, as natural behaviour."

He added: "He also spoke to the owner of the dog and advised him the dog, whenever out in public, should be kept on a lead and muzzled. It should not be let out in public by itself."