'Animals are starving behind closed doors': that's the message from the RSPCA, which has revealed a heartbreaking 31 per cent rise in neglect reports in Warwickshire exposing an animal welfare crisis.

The pet neglect surge has led the charity to launch an urgent appeal - The Big Give Back to Animals - which is calling on animal lovers to help raise vital funds to help the charity's rescuers cope with rising demand for help.

In Warwickshire alone, the charity has received 607 reports about neglected animals in the first 10 months of this year - a "heartbreaking" 31 per cent rise compared to 463 in the same period last year.

RSPCA superintendent Simon Osborne said: "Animals are facing shocking levels of neglect right now - they are often starving behind closed doors and being left without the treatment they urgently need. The truth is, times are desperately tough – and innocent animals are tragically the ones paying the ultimate price.

"The heartbreaking surge in neglect reports has already shattered our records, and we fear for what is to come over the winter months.

"These are not just statistics; behind the staggering numbers are individual animals, all who desperately need and deserve our help to survive.It's unbearable to see the pain in their eyes but that's the reality facing our so many animals and our rescuers fighting to save their lives."