LONDON, Wednesday 25 August 2010 (AFP) - The British woman at the centre of an Internet hate campaign after being caught on camera dumping a cat into a rubbish bin said Wednesday she was "profoundly sorry" for her actions.

Mary Bale, a 45-year-old bank worker, said she had been guilty of a "split second of misjudgment" when she binned the feline, a move which was caught on camera and has been relayed around the world -- to global outrage.

The cat, Lola, was stuck in the plastic wheelie bin for 15 hours but was discovered after her owners Darryl and Stephanie Mann heard her mewing.

They found out what happened after checking footage from a closed-circuit television camera which they had installed at their house in Coventry, central England, after their car was repeatedly bumped by other vehicles.

A Facebook campaign has been launched against Bale with some contributors even making death threats.

Earlier, Bale told The Sun newspaper that she could not understand "what the fuss is about", saying her action was "a joke" and adding: "It's just a cat."

But she later issued a statement saying: "I want to take this opportunity to apologise profusely for the upset and distress that my actions have caused.

"I cannot explain why I did this, it is completely out of character and I certainly did not intend to cause any distress to Lola or her owners."

Bale, who is now under investigation by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), added: "It was a split second of misjudgment that has got completely out of control."

She promised to cooperate with the RSPCA and said: "I wish to reiterate that I am profoundly sorry for my actions and wish to resolve this matter to everyone's satisfaction as soon as possible."

Police have said Bale has not committed a criminal offence.