Woman quizzed over kitten dumped in bin

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

A woman captured on CCTV throwing a kitten into a wheelie bin has been identified and is now due to be interviewed, the RSPCA said today.

The charity launched an investigation yesterday after the footage showed a woman stroking the cat as it walked along a wall before looking over her shoulder and dumping it into a large green rubbish bin.

In the video, taken from security cameras outside a house in the Stoke area of Coventry, the woman was then seen closing the lid of the bin before quickly walking away.

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

It emerged uninjured and is believed to be recovering well from the ordeal.

Today an RSPCA spokeswoman said: "A woman featured in CCTV footage putting a cat in a bin in Brays Road, Coventry, has now been identified.

"The RSPCA is leading an investigation into the incident and will be interviewing the woman shortly.

"Coventry Police are supporting this investigation and urge the public to leave the matter to be dealt with correctly by the authorities."

West Midlands Police said they were supporting the RSPCA's investigation and Coventry Police had not arrested the woman because she had not committed a criminal offence.

A spokesman said: "The RSPCA is leading an investigation into the incident and will be interviewing the woman shortly.

"Coventry Police are supporting the society's investigation and would urge the public to leave the matter to be dealt with in the appropriate manner by the authorities.

"Coventry Police have not arrested the woman because she has not committed a criminal offence."

The force said the woman was not being given police protection, despite speculation, and Community Support Officers were outside her address monitoring a large group of people for "public order purposes as per routine police procedure".