Man arrested after he bought goldfish and then swallowed it in pet shop

A man bought a goldfish in a pet shop - then gulped it down in front of horrified staff. Chris Caswell, 30, was arrested over the stunt that was videoed by his giggling pals and posted on Facebook.

He had paid £1.99 for a fish then asked staff to put it in a glass he had brought along, claiming he lived just across the road.A shopworker agreed and then watched in horror as he downed the fish in one gulp. After Caswell ate the creature, his friend, videoing the encounter, said: ‘Goldfish down the hatch!’



Roofer Caswell was arrested in a dawn raid at his home in Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham, on suspicion of cruelty to animals. He was quizzed at a police station for an hour then released. He insisted he was an animal lover and it was just a prank.

He said: "It was over a year ago. We had been out drinking at a friend's party. I can't remember much about it. I have just got a puppy. I like animals." The RSPCA last night said it was still probing the stunt at the Petals and Pets shop in Newton Aycliffe. If Caswell is found guilty of animal cruelty he could face a £20,000 fine or six months in jail.