The alarming rise of catapult attacks: How Britain's towns and villages are being terrorised by slingshot-wielding children filming themselves killing and torturing animals

Britain's towns and villages are being terrorised by sling-shot wielding children who are filming themselves abusing animals to post on social media.

Residents say they are seeing 'more and more' anti-social behaviour recently and some believe it is due to a new social media trend.

Locals in Kent believe the rise in catapult-related incidents are related to a trend of young people filming themselves firing ball bearings at animals and posting it online.

Pensioners say they are too scared to go for walks alone, and animals ranging from cats to swans have been brutally injured. 

In Maidstone, a family was left devastated after their pet peacock was shot more than 20 times with slingshots and catapults and brutally killed.

But this is only the latest in an alarming rise of catapult-related attacks by young people across the UK.

GRAPHIC WARNING: This article contains images which may be upsetting 

In 2018, a total of 80 offences involving the weapon were recorded in Kent - double the amount in 2017. 

And according to data FOI'd by KentOnline, there were 12 recorded incidents of catapult offences in the Tunbridge Wells vicinity in 2022, and five last year.

In Maidstone, a family was left devastated after their pet peacock was shot more than 20 times with slingshots and catapults.

The bird - named River - was brutally killed, and the youths responsible then went a step further to warn the family 'you are going to be next'.

River's owner, Alison Carter, 57, posted the footage from a neighbour's CCTV camera of the suspects on Facebook, showing five boys and one girl firing at the peacock who was perched in a tree.

One member of the twisted group messaged her daughter Macey, 23, threatening: 'Your peacock is 6ft under and you are going to be next'.

In the sickening footage, three of the boys are seen pelting River more than 20 times from the road before climbing over the fence onto the roof of a private property to carry on their assault on the innocent bird.

A petrified and injured River, who Alison says would have 'trusted' the group of strangers, is seen falling out of the tree, flapping around in distress and cowering in a corner.

The gang continue to aim at him from the rooftop before two dash forward, grab River by his wings and hold him up as a trophy, before one rips out his feathers.

They flee after trying to hide his blood-soaked body in the corner behind some wood.

Ms Carter said: 'I was devastated, and I still am. He was part of the family, he played and walked around with our dog Ziggy.

'He was like a dog - he would follow you around, he would come into the kitchen, he would have trusted them.'

They rescued River nearly six years ago after he had been kept in a small box without sunlight and was found 'featherless and frightened'.

The family have stopped their five other peacocks from roaming around freely because they are worried the offenders will return.

Ms Carter said that the day after River was killed, someone fired a catapult at one of her dogs, leaving a wound which drew blood.

The village of Kemsley - a 20-minute drive away from Maidstone - was shaken last year when a teenage girl was shot with a catapult.

Ruby Gasson, who was 13 at the time, suffered severe bruising to her leg.

Earlier this month, MailOnline reported that villagers in rural Surrey have been terrorised by slingshot-wielders who have smashed up windows, attacked a funeral and blinded wild animals.

The peaceful village of Godstone has been plagued by the catapult fiends, who have been seen prowling the area at random times of the day to intimidate residents, vandalise homes and hurt the wildlife. 

An 82-year-old widow, who we are not naming to protect her identity, said: 'People are terrified. It's atrocious. Catapults firing ball bearings and suchlike are hugely dangerous. 

They've damaged the church stained glass windows, targeted mourners at a funeral and blinded a swan. That could easily have been a young child. It doesn't bear thinking about.' 

Catapult attacks have plagued the village randomly since 2018 with perpetrators targeting houses and cars. 

But in the last year the rate of attacks has soared and many residents say police inaction is emboldening the criminals.

'It's turning into a nightmare,' said one woman. 'We're doing our best to help police but they don't seem to be listening.'

In the small town of Paddock Wood, there has been an increase in the reports of catapults - and adults said children are easily able to buy them cheaply online with little restrictions.

Speaking to KentOnline, Paul Keeble said his car windscreen was smashed by a slingshot device on April 14.

The 57-year-old said it is 'sad' to see, especially as he's lived there almost all of his life.

Jonathan Lawrence, 52, told the news site that he found his window smashed with a ball bearing lying on his patio.

He added that he's 'lost faith' in the police for low level crime.

One resident, Debbie Golding, 66, told the site: 'Older people are afraid to go out at night or go unaccompanied anywhere because you just never know who you are going to bump into.'

She added that it makes her 'afraid' for her grandchildren.'

'It starts with catapults and marbles through windows and at pigeons, but where is it going to end?' she continued. 

A 90-year-old resident, Shirley Lengkeith, said she's scared to go for walks on her own now.

Greg Clark, the MP for Tunbridge Wells, slammed the situation as 'unacceptable' and called for more policing and CCTV. 

And Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matt Scott told KentOnline he is taking action to tackle the 'appalling behaviour'.

A spokesperson for the council confirmed that catapults were taken off three people in Paddock Wood last weekend.

MailOnline reported last month how primary school children are filming themselves killing and torturing wild animals and sharing the grisly videos on WhatsApp.

Around 500 youths across 11 groups have shared graphic photos and videos of wounded and dead animals killed using a hand-held catapult.

Swans, deer, pigeons, foxes, squirrels, pheasants, rabbits, geese and duck are among the wildlife pictured and filmed in the disturbing attacks.

In one shocking video, a deer lies twitching on the ground having been shot with a catapult by a child.

The youth then kicks the deer on the floor while wielding the hand-held weapon for viewers to see, Sky News reported.

In another heartbreaking video, two teenagers boast of shooting a fox, with one heard saying: 'Okay boys... steel shot in the head.'

Geoff Edmond, the RSPCA's lead wildlife officer, said the catapult killings were an 'emerging trend' and that children were 'deliberately and intentionally targeting' animals 'for sport'. 

He told Sky News: 'We're seeing more and more injured animals being reported to us that are being hit by catapults.'

More than 350 pictures and videos of injured and killed animals have been shared across the groups, reports said.

This sick 'trend' has sparked calls to change the law to classify catapults as an illegal weapon.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 lists weapons a person must not use to kill an animal, but catapults are not on the list.