Zouma has his 2 cats taken away and is fined 250K

West Ham footballer Kurt Zouma has had his two cats taken away from him by the RSPCA after footage emerged of him kicking one – and hasbeen fined £250,000 by his club.

Video posted online showed the 27-year-old Frenchman dropping, kicking and slapping his pet, prompting “urgent enquiries” by Essex Police and the RSPCA.

In a statement, the animal charity said: “The two cats are now in RSPCA care. Our priority is and has always been the wellbeing of these cats.

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“They’ve been taken for a check-up at a vets and then will remain in our care while the investigation continues.

“We’re grateful to everyone who expressed their concern for these cats. We were dealing with this issue before the video went viral online and are leading the investigation.

“We continue to investigate so we cannot comment further at this time.”

In a statement released on its website on Wednesday afternoon, West Ham said it “can confirm that the club is supporting an RSPCA investigation” and that “Zouma has been fined the maximum amount possible” – which could be up to two weeks’ wages worth £250,000.

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A petition on Change.org, started by Anti Animal Abuse, demanded the prosecution of “the perpetrators of this heinous act” and urged the RSPCA to “remove all animals from Zouma’s ‘care’ immediately”, had attracted more than 175,000 signatures by Wednesday afternoon.