An RSPCA investigation has been launched after a woman was captured on CCTV throwing a kitten into a wheelie bin.

The footage, taken from security cameras outside a house in the Stoke area of Coventry, shows a grey-haired woman stroking the cat as it walks along a wall before looking over her shoulder and dumping it into a large green rubbish bin.

The woman, wearing a white t-shirt and black trousers, is seen closing the lid of the bin before quickly walking away from the scene.

The cat's owners, Stephanie and Darryl Mann, told local press their pet, named Lola, which is not yet a year old, was trapped in the bin for 15 hours.

An RSPCA spokeswoman said: "The RSPCA is appalled by allegations that a cat was placed inside a wheelie bin in Coventry in what would appear to be a mindless act of animal cruelty. Investigations are on-going in liaison with the police."

The cat was uninjured and is believed to be recovering well from its ordeal.