An angler has told how she is afraid to leave her home after receiving death threats from animal lovers for landing a 115-lb monster catfish.

Christine Hein was dubbed 'Angler Queen 2024' after she pulled the humongous fish from the the River Oder in Brandenburg, eastern Germany, last year.

The 52-kilo catfish was hailed as a sign that the river is healthy by the Brandenburg State Angling Association on 26th April as they paid tribute to Cristine.

But the angler has told how her fame means she has faced terrifying threats from animal activists accusing her of "disgusting cruelty".

The threats began when it emerged that the catfish, which would have usually been returned alive to the water, was killed because it had swallowed the hook so deeply.

When she realised it could not be saved, said Christine, she stunned the fish and then cut its gills to finish it off quickly.

But one sinister message, Christine says, told her: "You should be killed."

She said: "I was shocked by the hate. I'm not a trophy hunter."

She told NewsX: "Fish that are in their closed season or do not meet the required size are carefully returned to the water."

The threats have scared her so badly she says she now barely leave the house, even to go shopping and has filed a complaint with police.

Shocked State Angling President Gunther Baaske said: "She did everything right. All 96,000 anglers in Brandenburg stand behind her."

(Simona Kitanovska / newsX)