A pet tortoise is feared to have been “horrifically killed” after charred remains were found in a park.
The remains were found in Durrockstock Park in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on May 29 around 10pm.
Police fear the animal was “killed in a horrific manner”, but are also considering that the remnants may have been an attempt at cremation.
Inspector Tracy Harkins, Renfrewshire’s deputy area commander, said: “We do not know at this time how the tortoise came to be in the park or how it died.
“We fear this animal may be someone’s pet and they may be missing it.
“We are looking into whether this animal was already dead and the owners had taken it to the park to cremate the body.
“However, there is also a concern that the tortoise was found killed in a horrific manner and we are extremely keen to gather any information which can help us with this.
“If there is anyone in the local area who knows who this tortoise belongs to I would urge them to please get in touch to help us determine what has happened.
“We are currently investigating and are treating it as a crime at this time.”
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