West Ham defender Kurt Zouma has been charged with three offences and will appear in court on Tuesday after a video emerged in February of him kicking and slapping his cat.

The France international will appear in court alongside his brother Yoan for a first hearing.

Yoan is alleged to have filmed the incident and is charged with two counts of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring Kurt to commit an offence.

Kurt is charged with two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal on February 6 this year by kicking it in the abdomen and slapping it in the head.

The 27-year-old is also charged with not taking reasonable steps to protect the animal from pain, suffering, injury or disease.

Two cats belonging to Zouma are still under the care of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).

West Ham fined their player in relation to the incident and made donations to nine animal welfare charities in Britain and overseas.

(dpa/NAN)