A young cat was dumped inside a carrier in a bin liner at the side of a road.

The discovery was made in a small lay-by of the A909 near Cullaloe woods in Burntisland, Fife.

Clover, a one-year-old female cat, was found inside a plastic carrier inside a bin liner covered in urine and faeces.

Inspector Sarah Gregory described the incident as "deliberate and cruel".

She said: "This little cat is lucky she was discovered by a vigilant member of the public who knew something wasn't right as she could have easily been missed.

"We are unsure how long she was left outside for and we are keen to find the person responsible for abandoning her in this deliberate and cruel way.

"She doesn't appear to have any signs of injury but was covered in urine and faeces when we found her. She is currently being cared for by the staff at our centre in Edinburgh and has been named Clover.

"If anyone in the area recognises her or has any information on who may have abandoned Clover, we would urge you to call our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999."