Police have issued a warning after a shocking video has been shared widely on social media.
The video shows a teenager throwing a cat into a quarry, in Lancashire, however the footage was shared across the country. In the 14-second clip, a young man appears to be standing at the side of a large cliff holding the cat.
The video, which the ECHO has decided not to share, then shows the cat being thrown off the cliff and into the water. It is believed it was filmed in the Carnforth area of Lancashire.
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Police were made aware of the incident on Tuesday, July 11, with a video being shared across Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter. The footage caused outrage and a public outcry for those responsible to be brought to justice.
After initially saying there were no grounds for a criminal investigation, officers u-turned, Lancs Live reports. Officers have now arrested an 18-year-old man from Carnforth.
The arrest is in relation to animal cruelty. He remains in custody. A warning has also been shared as police have been made aware of threats being made towards those believed to be in the video, and their families.
Officers have said people have acted in an anti-social way towards people and that any criminal behaviour will be "dealt with robustly".
A brief statement from Lancashire Police said: "Further to our earlier post about a video of a cat appearing to be thrown from a cliff into water, we can confirm a man has been arrested.
"An 18-year-old man from Carnforth has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty and is in custody.
"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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