THE NUMBER of animal cruelty complaints investigated by the RSPCA in Oxfordshire has risen by 8.4 per cent.

Figures released by the charity today show it looked into 1,299 county concerns in 2016 compared to 1,198 the year before.

The number of convictions the RSPCA has won for animal cruelty in the county tripled over the same period from three to nine.

The charity said it believed the rise was down to people becoming more aware and less tolerant of animal mistreatment.