AUTHOR Jeanette Winterson caused a stir online when she uploaded a picture of a skinned rabbit she had caught and killed — because it was eating her parsley.

The Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit writer, who went to Accrington and Rossendale College, also used Twitter to tell her 32,700 followers it would make a ‘great glove puppet’.

The 54-year-old writer and journalist posted a picture of the disembowelled rabbit carcass, lying on a kitchen counter, alongside the words: “Rabbit ate my parsley. I am eating the rabbit.”

And although she later tweeted to say she trapped and killed the rabbit humanely, and deleted a tweet saying the carcass would make a glove puppet, Jeanette still faced criticism from other users of the micro-blogging site.

Jacqueline Looker said: “Before I unfollow you, you make me sick. I will never again read a word you write. Rest in peace, little rabbit.”

Jeanette replied: “Do you only read vegetarians? If not, why is farmed meat fine but personally trapped disgusting? Think about it.”

Jeanette also uploaded pictures of her cooking rabbit meat ‘in cider with rosemary and thyme’, and a picture of her cat eating the rabbit’s innards.

She tweeted: “No waste, no packaging, no processing, no food miles.”

User HollyHox said in a message to the author: “Thing is that most people don’t feel a need to post such a graphic image and joke about it. That’s the difference.”

And Arthur Japin said: “How your cat and you have disappointed me. At least the cat has an excuse.”

However, some users defended the series of tweets with some even asking for tips.

Hazel James wrote: “Isn’t that the balance of nature? At least it’s fresh, not like the frozen tasteless ones butchers sell.”

Annie-Marie Speed said: “Delicious and very eco friendly.” And Keith Morton wrote: “Which wine did you have with it? Looks lovely.”

Jeanette could not be reached for comment yesterday.