A woman jailed for neglecting a dog found "close to death" has won an appeal against her sentence.

Marie Elizabeth Staniforth, 32, was locked up by magistrates last month after a starved and emaciated lurcher-type animal known as Charlie was found in Cleator Moor.

An RSPCA inspector described Charlie as the skinniest dog he'd ever seen alive.

The dog had been left by Staniforth for about a month with little or no food or water.

Staniforth, a pre-school owner, denied a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to Charlie.

But she was found guilty after a trial, jailed for 126 days and banned from keeping animals for life.

Staniforth, a woman of previous good character, lodged an appeal against the prison term.

This was heard at Carlisle Crown Court.

It emerged during the hearing that Staniforth - a mother-of-four and heavily pregnant with a fifth child - had received "a number of death threats" following her conviction.

These were being dealt with by police.

According to her lawyer, Claire Kirkpatrick, this followed the widespread publicity that her trial had generated.

"This has had a significant impact on her family and staff at the nursery," said Mrs Kirkpatrick.

"She has had a great deal of punishment already. In addition to that she has had 10 days in custody.

"It is a place she does not want to go back to."

Having considered mitigation and submissions on behalf of the RSPCA, which prosecuted Staniforth, Judge Tony Lancaster and a magistrate concluded her sentence was "disproportionate".

They found that little consideration had been given to the impact of immediate custody on her family life, and noted that there had been "upheaval" for her children since her incarceration.

Staniforth, of Eskdale Green, Holmrook, was given an amended two-week sentence, and told she was set to be released immediately.

The lifelong ban on her keeping animals will remain in place.