An award-winning baker has been branded "cruel and barbaric" by internet trolls after posting videos of herself cutting into lifelike animal cakes.
They called Hannah Edwards a "closet serial killer" after she posted the clips on the Facebook page of her North London bakery, The Cake Illusionist.
Edwards, 36, is renowned for her ultra-realistic sponge creations and spent years perfecting her methods to make a living from cake sculpting.
The mother of two uploaded clips of her slicing through two of her animal cakes, a dog and a horse's head, but the footage attracted a wave of criticism.
Among the 10,000 comments was one which read: "THIS IS DISGUSTING!!!! What's wrong with people how can you cut and eat a cake that looks like a real animal, eyes, face, heart, ribs?!? Barbaric. STUPID."
One Facebook user said: "It is disgusting and unethical! Definitely, artist has damaged brain..." Another added: "That's just sick! Making a realistic dog or any living creature and cut it with knife eating it! I find it gross and stupid!!"
WATCH: Baker Hannah Edwards cuts her life-like cakes
undefinedEdwards, an animal lover who owns a cat, two turtles and five free-range chickens, says: "The level of aggression in these comments is madness. It's just an illusion, that's all. It's not a real animal, it's not even meat, it's eggs, butter, sugar and flour. It's no different from any other cake, it's just a step up in realism.
"Most of these people outraged do eat real meat on a daily basis. I think their rage could be far better directed to true animal abuse causes," she adds.
Edwards takes orders from those who want their pets recreated in cake form for special occasions and it can take up to 80 hours of work.