A bank worker who caused international outrage by dumping a rescue cat in a wheelie bin has told Sky News she is "profoundly sorry" for her actions.
Mary Bale enraged animal lovers around the world after she was caught on CCTV grabbing four-year-old Lola by the scruff of the neck and tossing her in a bin.
The 45-year-old was offered police protection after her actions prompted angry online campaigns - including one called "catch the evil b**** who put the cat in the bin".
Many wrote threatening messages after viewing the footage, and the former choir singer faces a possible RSPCA prosecution.
One group - entitled "Death to Mary Bale" - has now been removed by Facebook as police said they were "closely monitoring" threats made towards her online.
Lola was trapped for 15 hours before her owners Stephanie and Daryll Mann heard her cries outside their home in Coventry.
They found her in a terrified state, sitting in the bin in her own mess.
Initially, the bank worker said she did not know what all the fuss was about - and said she put Lola in the bin for a "joke".
"It's just a cat," she told The Sun.
But faced by TV cameras after leaving her home with her mother Celia, she apologised for the distress she had caused Lola and her owners.
She refused to answer any questions, and referred reporters to a statement she has released.
It says: "I want to take this opportunity to apologise profusely for the upset and distress that my actions have caused.
"I cannot explain why I did this, it is completely out of character and I certainly did not intend to cause any distress to Lola or her owners.
"It was a split second of misjudgement that has got completely out of control.
"I am due to meet with the RSPCA and police to discuss this matter further and will co-operate fully with their investigations.
"I wish to reiterate that I am profoundly sorry for my actions and wish to resolve this matter to everyone's satisfaction as soon as possible."
Ms Bale admitted she "shouldn't have done it" but added that she did not deserve the hatred of people around the world.
Lola's owner Stephanie Mann has appealed for calm and urged people not to take "matters into their own hands".
The 24-year-old said: "I can't believe the reaction to the story. I only posted it on Facebook because I wanted to see who she was.
"Whatever she has done, I don't like her, but I don't want her to get hurt. It needs to be dealt with properly, not by people getting aggressive with her."
Ms Bale told The Sun she fears she may lose her job as a customer services assistant at the Royal Bank of Scotland.
She said: "I've had my boss ringing to ask me what's going on, and I've had to talk to the bank's security people about what to do if people who think I hurt the cat try to find me.
"Everything has gone crazy because of a stupid spur-of-the-moment thing I did - but I know I only have myself to blame.
"I wish I'd never set eyes on the cat. But what I'm really worried about at the moment is my father who is not very well in hospital."
Ms Bale's mother Celia claimed her daughter "loves cats".
She said: "She absolutely adores animals - this doesn't make sense. Her father Maurice is in hospital very ill and I think she was just in a world of her own."
West Midlands Police said Ms Bale was not arrested because she had not committed a criminal offence - and the matter would be dealt with by the RSPCA.
A spokeswoman for the RSPCA told Sky News Online its officers would interview Ms Bale shortly.
She said an inspector would write a case file on her and send it to the prosecution department, which would decide whether to charge her.
West Midlands Police said Ms Bale was not arrested because she had not committed a criminal offence
They changed the law then?
There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025
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Got that 'joke' via text and wasnt impressed then, nor now tbh. That woman intentionally and deliberatly commited animal cruelty. As far as the cat on the tele...thats going a bit too far. What next? An interview in HEAT magazine??
I can understand you not liking the joke (sorry). I hate animal cruelty too, but the cat's fine, the offender is likely to be prosecuted and all the other weirdos out there know what's going to happen to them if they do something like that. We can move on now.
I doubt if she will be prosecuted as the police recon NO CRIME WAS COMMITTED!!!! Now, if she had parked her car on a double yellow line to put the cat in the bin they would soon throw the book at her!!!! PRICKS!!!
Why is everyone going on about this stupid bitch? Everyone at work was bangin on about it yesterday Big friggin deal, she dropped a cat in a bin, boohoo, hardly the crime of the century and the cats fine, lock this annoying thread at once PoLease!!!!
Brrr it`s getting chilly, best get my chinese cat fur blanket.
it`s getting chilly, best get my chinese cat fur blanket.
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