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Six chickens have been found with their heads cut off in an allotment.
The Thornhill Gardens site in Hartlepool was broken into between 18:00 BST on Wednesday and 09:00 on Thursday.
The birds' heads were severed and another had a leg cut off, police said.
Cleveland Police has appealed for information about the "sickening" act.
A spokesperson said: "Hartlepool police are appealing for information after an allotment was broken into and someone carried out sickening cruelty to animals.
"The heads of six chickens were cut off and killed and another chicken had a leg cut off."
A CCTV camera was stolen from the allotment, along with a 6in (15cm) boning knife.
