A parish councillor in Whittlebury, south Northamptonshire has quit after distressing footage showed a cat named Suki seemingly targeted with an explosive left on a bird table in his garden
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Cat ‘blown up’ in birdhouse by neighbour in targeted attack
A parish councillor has been forced to resign after he allegedly booby-trapped his garden and ‘blew up’ a neighbour’s cat.
James Garnor, who held a seat on Whittlebury Parish Council in south Northamptonshire, is alleged to have fitted an explosive to the bird table in his back garden, and filmed as it detonated in front of the cat, named Suki. Shocking footage circulated among neighbours shows the cat standing on the covered wooden bird table when there is a sudden orange flash, followed by a plume of black smoke.
Thankfully, Suki escaped without any major injuries, but did suffer scorched whiskers. Owner Nikki says the cat’s personality has permanently changed since the incident in April 2023. Describing the differences in the 11-year-old tabby’s behaviour, she told LBC: “She’s not the loving cat she used to be but I don’t blame her.
“The change in her happened pretty much overnight. She would come and sit for hours, cuddling and playing and bobbing her head all over you.” She said the cat had been very approachable before but now “very rarely comes near you”, and “hisses” and “growls” if you go near her.
Nikki was sent the video and shared it on a local community Facebook page, where she was contacted by a neighbour who suggested Mr Garnor was responsible. He quit the parish council last week.
In a statement on Saturday, Whittlebury Parish Council said: “We understand the concerns raised by the community and want to assure everyone that we take all matters of animal welfare seriously. We can confirm that Cllr Garnor resigned from the council on Friday 7th February 2025, with immediate effect.
“While the council cannot intervene in private matters, we encourage all individuals to act responsibly and with consideration for the wellbeing of all animals. We are committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of our community and will continue to uphold the highest standards of conduct.”
Mr Garnor attended a voluntary interview with police in October 2023 following a complaint from a local resident. Northamptonshire Police said two men in the village were spoken to, but there was “insufficient evidence” to bring any charges. A statement from the force said: “On August 23, 2023, Northamptonshire Police received a report of a cat being injured by a firework at a property in High Street, Whittlebury. Further enquiries established the alleged incident had occurred on April 9, 2023.
“Investigations saw a warrant carried out at a property in High Street, Whittlebury, on October 5, 2023. On October 6, 2023, a man attended a voluntary interview regarding the matters reported to the Force. A second man was also identified and spoken to in relation to the investigation. There was insufficient evidence to prove criminal charges in relation to the investigation.
“The matter was dealt with by use of anti-social behaviour legislation in March 2024. The owner of the cat was updated throughout the investigation and was advised of this outcome.”
