THE distraught owner of a pedigree cat which was killed by a car left his pet on a shrine at the foot of his driveway in a statement to "heartless" motorists.
The cat has now been removed from the four-foot high grass mound, which is marked with a wooden crucifix, from which a sign hangs bearing the message: "You will never know the terrible grief you have caused through your heartless driving."
The owner, who asked not to be named, said a new generation of drivers in Church Lane, West Parley, had made the road dangerous for his remaining pets.
"There are crazy drivers in Church Lane. Whoever killed my cat is very heartless and irresponsible."
The five-year-old cat, Spandau, was a British shorthaired tabby born to champion parents. The cat's father still lives with the owner.
"The only way he can be safe is to be kept in a cage, but I cannot do that. This area is paradise for a cat," he said.
But some users of the road complained that the shrine was a danger to motorists.
One man who uses the lane to drive his wife to the Osborne Centre for multiple sclerosis sufferers told the Daily Echo the sight of the decomposing cat was "horrific".
The man, who asked not to be identified, said: "The cat was laid on top of the shrine with flies buzzing around it.
"It wasn't very nice, especially for young children."
East Dorset District Council said the shrine was beyond its control. "Officers from our technical services directorate attended the scene. The shrine is on private land," a spokesman said.
The AA's road safety chief, Andrew Howard, told the Echo that roadside shrines required caution.
He said shrines could give a misleading impression of the safety of a particular road, and added that shrines which obstruct the pavement can force pedestrians into the road.
