27 August 2010 Last updated at 12:09 ET

Nick Clegg's shock at woman dumping cat in bin

Lola's distressed cries were heard 15 hours after Ms Bale dumped the cat

The deputy prime minister has expressed his shock at the actions of a woman who dumped a cat in a bin.

Nick Clegg was speaking about 45-year-old Mary Bale who was caught on CCTV cameras putting a cat into a wheelie bin in Coventry.

Lola was found 15 hours later by her owner Darryl Mann, who then posted the video of the incident on the internet.

Mr Clegg, speaking at a public meeting, said he understood the "passion people have for animal welfare".

He said: "To see the reaction to that extraordinary clip of the lady putting the cat into the bin - quite rightly people don't understand how that could possibly happen."

Ms Bale has been interviewed by the RSPCA which is considering whether to prosecute or not.

The video sparked outrage among animal lovers and led to Facebook taking down a group calling for Ms Bale's death.

After being confronted with public outrage at her dumping of the live animal, Ms Bale apologised for "the upset and distress" she had caused.

She claimed it was a "split second of misjudgement" but has not revealed why she had the cat or put it in the bin.

Lola was trapped in the bin for 15 hours and only released when Mr Mann heard the distressed animal's cries.

It was only when he reviewed the footage from his own CCTV camera that the cause of Lola's ordeal was revealed.