Animal-lovers are hoping to stem the region's spiralling stray cat problem with a £100,000-plus extension to Wethersfield's RSPCA centre.

They want to build a new cattery capable of holding more than 70 unwanted cats - three times more than they can cope with now.

A spokeswoman said the number of strays was spinning out of control with unplanned pregnancies among the feline population reaching record highs.

"It is a terrible problem," she said. "Some people don't have their cats neutered. They let them wander about, then they get pregnant and have kittens which are given away to people they know and the problem just escalates."

Plans to expand the animal centre's cattery have been put forward to Braintree Council. Last year the centre took in around 600 cats.

Staff have a policy of not destroying any healthy animal. The cattery is the latest phase of an ongoing project which has already seen the addition of new kennels and a rehab unit for injured and sick wild animals.

The spokeswoman said work would start as soon as planning permission was granted and they hoped to have it up and running as soon as possible.

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