Kurt Zouma fined 'maximum amount' by West Ham after mistreating his cat
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has weighed into the Kurt Zouma saga, with debate raging on as to how West Ham should deal with the player who appeared to kick and slap his pet cat in a recent video. Hammers boss David Moyes came under heavy fire for fielding the Frenchman during Tuesday's clash with Watford.
In response to the footage, Zouma was fined 'the maximum amount possible' by West Ham, who signed him from Chelsea last summer in a £30million deal.
The RSPCA have stapped in to seize the cats, and an investigation is believed to be ongoing.
Zouma's younger brother, Yoan, has already been suspended by Dagenham and Redbridge until the investigation concludes, and many have urged the Hammers to do the same.
Starmer is among them, slamming Moyes and co for the decision to field the 27-year-old during Tuesday evening's 1-0 win over the Hornets.
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"I think [clubs] should do more [to ensure players make decent role models]. I think a lot of clubs do.
"West Ham had a choice. They shouldn't have played him. I think a lot of their own fans think that they shouldn't have played him, and they've made a mistake in my view."
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has also fired shots at Zouma, claiming that he is a 'disgrace' and 'should be held to account'.
While Dagenham have clearly taken a firm stance on the West Ham star's younger brother, Moyes appears reluctant to ommit take similar action, despite being a self-proclaimed 'animal lover'.
Yoan Zouma has already been suspended by Dagenham and Redbridge (Image: GETTY)
"My job is to pick the best team and Kurt was part of that," explained the Scotsman on Tuesday.
"I was completely disappointed with what I saw and what I was told, but my job was to try and find a way to get a win for West Ham. Some people will be disappointed and I understand that.
"I’m someone who cares a lot about my dogs and my horses. The club are dealing with it as you well know.
"I’ve already spoken to him and we’ll move on as much as we can. We understand it’s not something everybody is pleased about. It’s a really poor situation."