Police are investigating after more than a hundred dead animals including ducks, cats and ferrets were found dumped in a river.

It is believed the creatures – including kittens and hens – had been starved to death before being tossed into Cripps River in Burnham-On-Sea, Somerset.

Volunteers made the grim find on Friday morning between Bason Bridge and Huntspill Moor in East Huntspill. A handful were still alive and were taken away by Secret World Wildlife Rescue, based in nearby Huntspill.

Spokesman Pauline Kidner said: ''A member of the public had stopped along the road to break their journey, only to find a cage with ferrets in, a young kitten running around and more than 40 bodies of ducks and chickens plus plastic bags floating in the water.

''Using grappling hooks, the dead bodies were retrieved and the plastic bags in the water contained further bodies of chickens and ducks.

''The condition of the animals was very poor and the opinion is that they had died from starvation.

''In all, it is suspected that more than 100 dead animals had been dumped. They were mainly ducks and chickens, but also an adult cat."