A severely injured and potentially mutilated fox has been found dead in a bin near a block of Blackheath flats.

The RSPCA was directed to the animal inside a large metal bin within a shared garage area at the housing development on the Priory at Priory Park on the evening of Saturday, June 22.

The charity made enquiries locally to see if anyone knows what happened to the fox, as it does not know how the fox died or why it was left there.

It has been labelled as “suspicious” as the RSPCA made a similar call to the same bin last year.

When the fox’s body was found, it was “badly decomposed”, so it was difficult for the RSPCA to deduce whether the fox was intentionally mutilated or if someone had instead disposed of a fox badly injured in a road accident.

The person who reported the fox to the RSPCA explained that this bin was cleared early last week.

This means that the fox was placed there between Tuesday, June 18 and Saturday, June 22.

Under the Wild Mammals Protection Act (1996) it is illegal to intentionally cause suffering to a fox.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the RSPCA appeals line number on 0300 123 8018.

RSPCA Inspector Harriet Daliday, who is investigating, said: “We don’t know how this fox died or why it was placed at this location, although we attended a similar call when a dead fox was found in the same bin in June last year so that makes it appear suspicious.

“This fox’s body was badly decomposed when it was found, so looking at the body it is difficult to know whether this is a case of an animal who has been intentionally mutilated, suffering severe injuries as a result, or whether it is a case of someone disposing of the badly injured body after a road accident.”

“The caller has told us that this bin was cleared early last week, so the fox was placed there between Tuesday, June 18 and last Saturday.”