The RSPCA is to prosecute a woman who was caught on CCTV dumping a cat into a wheelie bin

A woman caught on a security camera dumping a cat into its owners' wheelie bin is to be prosecuted for causing unnecessary suffering, the RSPCA said today.

Mary Bale, 45, was charged under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act for causing unnecessary suffering and for failing to provide the cat with a suitable environment.

The Coventry bank worker made international headlines and provoked a vitriolic online campaign against her last month when footage of the way she treated the tabby, named Lola, was posted on the web. She is due to appear before Coventry magistrates on 19 October.

The RSPCA said in a statement Bale had been "witnessed on CCTV footage stroking a cat, then looking round and picking the cat up by the scruff of its neck before putting it in a wheelie bin, shutting the lid and walking away from the scene. At no point did she return. The cat was trapped in the bin for approximately 15 hours."

The charity said it would not be issuing any further statements until after the court case.

Bale defended her actions after the incident was made public, saying she did "not deserve to be hated" for her moment of madness. The footage came from a CCTV camera installed by Lola's owners, who discovered her when they heard her desperate cries the day after she was trapped. They posted the video on Facebook and YouTube in an effort to track down who was responsible.

The maximum penalty under the act is a £20,000 fine and/or six months in prison.