WHAT THE PAPERS SAY: Getting to know the hated Mellissa Bachman

CONDEMNED by animal rights activists and insulted by Ricky Gervais, Mellisa Bachman has shut down her Twitter account in a bid to escape further censure. Meanwhile, more than 250,000 people have signed an online petition calling for her to be banned from South Africa reports The Week.

But who is Bachman exactly and why has she become a global hate figure?

How did the Bachman backlash start?

It all began with a posting on Bachman's Facebook and Twitter pages. On November 1 she wrote: "An incredible day hunting in South Africa! Stalked inside 60 yards on this beautiful male lion… what a hunt!" The words were accompanied by a photograph of a beaming Bachman squatting next to the dead animal.

So, who is she exactly?

Bachman is the host of a US TV show called Winchester Deadly Passion. The title is a reference to the famous brand of rifle rather than the cathedral city in Hampshire. The second series of the show is currently on air in the US. A YouTube video titled Melissa Bachman Bio shows her stalking a cavalcade of wild animals wearing camouflage and carrying either a rifle or a bow and arrow. "I'm a hunter to the core," Bachman tells the camera. She started hunting as a child and it was always a "good time" for her and her family. "It didn't matter how many ducks we shot or how big our bucks were – it was about spending time together," she says.

What does she hunt?

What doesn't she hunt might be a better question. Alaska's black bears are a favorite, apparently. Her recommended method of hunting them is "on the ground, calling them in, and shooting them close!" Bulls, Texas hogs and Newfoundland moose have all been dispatched efficiently in videos she has posted online.

Does anyone support her?

You bet. The hunting community has launched a Facebook page called Show support for Melissa Bachman and resist anti-hunting abuse which has attracted more than 30,000 'likes'. A supporter called Rick Flander wrote: "Melissa, you keep up the great work. The antis only think about the poor animal, not realizing that as hunters we care more than they do!"

What does Morrissey think?

Manchester's most famous vegetarian has launched a "searing" attack on Bachman, the Manchester Evening News reports. He told the paper that the photograph of Bachman and the dead lion "left me tearful" and he accuses the US hunter of "murderous insanity". ·

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