The RSPCA is thinking about whether to bring charges against a woman who dumped a cat in a wheelie bin.

Footage of Mary Bale throwing four-year-old Lola into a bin sparked outrage and made international headlines.

Now the animal charity's prosecutions department is considering taking action and is in the process of compiling a "full file" on Ms Bale.

The 45-year-old bank worker, from the Stoke area of Coventry, has said she was "profoundly sorry" for her actions, describing the incident as "a split second of misjudgment".

In a statement she also said: "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."

Ms Bale's apology came after police revealed they were "closely monitoring" online threats to her.

Hundreds of people posted angry messages on Facebook after a clip showing Lola being thrown into the green rubbish bin was uploaded by her owners.

A spokeswoman for the social networking site said a group entitled Death to Mary Bale had been removed for contravening Facebook's terms of use.

In the clip, posted on YouTube by Lola's owners, Ms Bale is seen stroking the cat before picking it up by the scruff of the neck and dumping it in the bin.

Lola, who was trapped for 15 hours, emerged unscathed and is said to be fully recovered from the ordeal.