Lancashire Police arrest man following footage of cat being thrown off cliff

Police say they have arrested a man in connection with social media footage showing a cat being thrown into a quarry.

The footage shows a youth standing at the side of a large cliff holding a black and white cat in his right hand. The animal does not appear to be moving before it is thrown into the water below.

Lancashire Police became aware of the footage after it began circulating on social media, thought to have been filmed in the Carnforth area.

An 18-year-old man from Carnforth has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty and is in custody.

In an earlier update posted on the Lancaster Area Police Facebook page, a spokesperson said the force believed the video - happened "some time ago" and that the cat "was already dead at the time of the incident".

The post went on to say that the force is satisfied that no criminal offence has been committed.

In a newer update, Lancashire Police said: "We can confirm, having reviewed the footage and conducted further enquiries, an investigation is underway and we will be speaking to a man in due course in connection with animal cruelty offences.

"We are aware some people have targeted those shown in the video and their families and subjected them to threats and anti-social behaviour.

"We would remind people any criminal behaviour will be dealt with robustly."

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