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The mum of an 11-year-old girl who dumped a cat in a bin has been praised for marching the youngster to a police station.

The parent is understood to have been mortified after seeing the footage showing her daughter cruelly dumping the black cat in a rubbish bin in Bransholme.

Jean Atkinson, 68, of Weymouth Close, caught the act on her CCTV cameras.

Humberside Police confirmed they are investigating the incident and will be speaking to the girl.

A spokeswoman said: “A mother has come into a police station with her daughter to say that she is the person in the video footage.

“We will be conducting an investigation of the incident as causing unnecessary suffering to an animal under Section 4.1 and Section 4.2 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

“We will be speaking to the 11-year-old girl about the incident and establish the best course of action.

“We want to thank the mother for accompanying her daughter into the police station, she has acted very responsibly. We can now look at the evidence, speak with the girl and establish the best course of action.”

The story has sparked a huge reaction from readers who were outraged by what the footage showed.

One reader said: “Disturbing what people do to animals. No animal deserves that. Hope she gets caught asap!!”

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Another added: “I think all living creatures should be protected by law. Not just dogs. It's beyond a joke!”

But the police have urged people not to carry out a witch hunt.

The spokeswoman said: “We would ask for people to let us conduct our inquiries so we can take the necessary actions.”

Ms Atkinson had cameras installed at her home after previously experiencing some trouble with youngsters in the area. So, when she noticed her bin lid was open, she checked back on her CCTV footage.

She previously told the Mail: "I found my bin open so I checked the CCTV and saw a girl put a black cat in the bin.

"She came up, she had a black cat in her hand, she lifted the bin lid and put the cat in it."

The footage, which was filmed on August 17, shows the girl peek inside the bin after chucking the cat inside.

She then picked up a bag of rubbish and placed it on top of the bin in what appeared to be an attempt to prevent the animal from getting out. The girl, whose face the Mail has blurred for legal reasons, could then be seen sprinting off.

Ms Atkinson says her CCTV footage showed the girl returning several times to check the cat was still inside the bin before she "disappeared".