The police are investigating reports of animals being shot in the lower end of Valletta over the past months.

Sources said residents in Triq San Nicola, in the vicinity of the Mediterranean Conference Centre, reported the repeated shooting of animals by what seems like a CO2 airgun.

They said pigeons, cats and dogs had been found shot over the last couple of months. They managed to save some of the wounded animals, including a dog that was found lying in a pool of blood with a shot to its neck. However, others were found dead and even run over by passing cars. A police spokesman confirmed the reported incident and said investigations continued.

The latest shooting took place early yesterday morning. When contacted, a resident who lives in the whereabouts said that the shooting had been taking place for a number of months, if not years, and several police reports had been filed. He said the problem with catching the person committing such atrocities was that he had not been spotted in the act or, if he had, no one came forward to report the matter to the authorities.

Last month, two men received suspended jail terms, one of them also being fined €2,000, after they admitted to shooting animals in separate incidents.

Alfred Camilleri, 67, from Żabbar, shot a cat at his home with an airgun last May 11 after the animal attacked a number of birds he had on the roof.

The cat was hit in the head. It was operated on and made a full recovery.

Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona handed down a six-month jail term suspended for one year and ordered the confiscation of the gun.

In the other case, John Camilleri, 54,of Żurrieq, shot a dog, injuring it in the head and legs on May 22, 2009.

He claimed the dog was a threat to his farm animals.

The dog made a full recovery.

Magistrate Micallef Trigona handed down a one-year jail term suspended for two years and fined Mr Camilleri €2,000. He also ordered the gun to be confiscated.