In court: Ursula Presgrave - who appeared on The Call Centre (pictured) - was taken to court after saying disabled children should be killed instead of living the 'pointless life of a vegetable'

A BBC reality TV star could be jailed for posting on Facebook that children born with Down's Syndrome should be 'put down'.

Ursula Presgrave - who appeared on BBC3's The Call Centre - was taken to court after saying disabled children should be killed instead of living the 'pointless life of a vegetable'.

The 23-year-old pleaded guilty to an offence under the Malicious Communications act and now faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail or a £5,000 fine.

Presgrave, who was known on the BBC show for her tattoos, piercings and foul language, told Facebook followers: 'Anyone born with down syndrome should be put down, it's just cruel to let them lead a pointless life of a vegetable.'

The message outraged social media users and led to a flurry of complaints to South Wales Police.

More than 550 people commented on the post and described it as 'vile', 'sick', and 'attention-seeking'.

The call centre worker, who appeared alongside Nev Wilshire in the BBC Three fly-on-the-wall series, was arrested after police also found photos joking about the disabled on her phone, Swansea Magistrates' Court heard.

Prosecutor Linda Baker said: 'Her mobile phone was seized, and found to contain numerous photos holding slogans mocking people with Down's Syndrome'.

Defence: Ursula, who worked at the Save Britain Money call centre in her home city of Swansea, told police 'she wanted people to notice her' when she wrote this post

Evidence: Presgrave, pictured on BBC3, was arrested after police also found photos joking about the disabled, Swansea Magistrates' Court heard

Ursula, who worked at the Save Britain Money call centre in her home city of Swansea, told police 'she wanted people to notice her' when she wrote the post.

Mark Davies, defending, told Swansea Magistrates Court: 'There is genuine remorse, and she would like to make a public apology.'

Presgrave appeared in the first episode of The Call Centre where she clashed with Nev after she yawned and he threw sweets at her.

She later parted ways with the Save Britain Money business - and a spokesman for the company claimed she 'had neither the aptitude, nor personality' to work with customers.

Ursula has previously sparked outrage after posting a 'joke' about Madeleine McCann on her Facebook page.

Mark Davies, defending reality TV star Ursula Presgrave, said: 'There is genuine remorse, and she would like to make a public apology.

'The first question she was asked by police was whether she know she had committed a criminal offence.

'Her immediate answer was: 'Yes, and I am very sorry about it' and began to cry.

'She accepts she crossed the line, and that is indicative of the fact she has pleaded guilty.

'She does not harbour any prejudice to people with these difficulties.'

Anger: Domenica Lawson, pictured with her mother Rosa Monckton and father Dominic Lawson, wrote a letter to the reality TV star who claimed people with Down's Syndrome 'should be put down'

Family: Domenica, pictured with her mother and Princess Diana at her Christening, was the Princess' Goddaughter

USE OF ACT TO POLICE 'MALICIOUS' FACEBOOK MESSAGES HAS SOARED TENFOLD IN THE PAST DECADE Under the Malicious Communications Act any 'indecent or grossly offensive' message that causes 'distress or anxiety' can lead to prosecution. The maximum punishment is six months in prison and a £5,000 fine. The 1988 law came into force before the widespread use of the internet, e-mail and social networking. It has since been updated on at least two occasions as the use of social media has exploded. The police will investigate each case and hand a file to the Crown Prosecution Service who will decide if there is enough evidence to bring charges. Ministry of Justice figures show 694 individuals were guilty of offences under this Act last year - the highest number for at least a decade and more than 10 times higher than the 64 convictions recorded in 2004. Last year the Government announced measures to increase the maximum sentence for trolls who are convicted under the Malicious Communications Act from six months to two years. Advertisement

A goddaughter of Princess Diana who has Down's Syndrome was among those who has hit back at Presgrave after her Facebook comment.

Domenica Lawson, whose mother Rosa Monckton was a close friend of Diana fought back and said she and her friends with Down's syndrome live happy lives.

She wrote in September: 'We are real people with Down's syndrome, we were all born this way and we are not like vegetables. That’s a mad thing to say, this is my life.

'I have two best dogs in my entire life they made me happy so you can’t say put Down's syndrome people down like dog it's upsetting and it's not on.'

Miss Lawson's mother, Ms Monckton, and Princess Diana were friends from 1992 until the Princess's death five years later.

Diana came to her shortly after Domenica's birth and asked to be godmother.

Diana later took the youngster to an inclusive theatre company, where she thrived.

Miss Lawson's father, journalist Dominic Lawson, has previously written on how his daughter's life shames those who claim people with Down's syndrome should be detected in utero and aborted.