CAT owners have been left fearing for their animals' safety after a spate of mysterious deaths in and around Fulham.

Sands End resident Maggie Mullins had a shock last week when she opened her front door to find a deceased cat, and was then told by a local authority bin collector that four other feline bodies had been collected in the area that morning.

Twitter users then contacted the Chronicle to report other deaths. One woman said she had seen a cat lying dead in Bishop' Park last Saturday, while another said her and her neighbour's animals had been found killed side-by-side in Seagrave Road.

And Imperial Crescent resident Natasha Davids said her cat had returned home in agony with a gash in its neck. Miss Davids was attacked in her home by a fox two years ago and believes the predators are behind the recent deaths and the injury to her own cat, Lester.

The RSPCA says fox attacks on cats are rare but Miss Davids, 35, is convinced of their guilt and is calling for stronger action to control numbers.

Recalling the attack on Lester, nine, Miss Davids said: "I'd heard a horrendous screaming noise in the early morning which sounded worse than a cat fight but I didn't think anything more of it until I saw Lester literally dragging himself into the house.

"He had a huge gash on his neck and a very high temperature, which could indicate he had been bitten by a fox as they carry a lot of disease.

"Luckily because of his size he wasn't thrown around like a rag doll but he has been traumatised, He just stares at the window mournfully and won't go out. I won't let him out at night again anyway."

Miss Davids went on an unsuccessful drive to force local authorities to class foxes as vermin following the attack on her in 2010, when a fox bit her foot after jumping through an open bedroom window.

She added: "They are dangerous. If they can attack me then they could attack a baby, and certainly a cat. There are more and more of them and they are getting bigger and bigger."

The RSPCA said the most likely killers are anti freeze and road traffic. A spokeswoman said another possible culprit is people laying down poison to kill foxes, which is illegal, and warned offenders they face up to a £20,000 fine and six months in jail.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council said it had not seen an unusual hike in reported deaths.