Yob arrested after he bought £1.99 goldfish and then swallowed it in pet shop



Horrifying: Chris Caswell was videoed by friends swallowing a goldfish he had just bought from a pet shop

A yob has been arrested after buying a goldfish in a pet shop and swallowing it in front of horrified shop staff.

Chris Caswell, 30, was arrested yesterday over the prank that was videoed by his friends and posted on Facebook.

He paid £1.99 for the fish and then asked staff to put it in a glass he had bought with him, claiming he just lived 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!’

They then walked out of the shop laughing and joking.



Police were alerted after the footage was posted on the social networking website.

Caswell, a roofer, was arrested in a dawn raid at his home in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, yesterday, on suspicion of cruelty to animals. He was quizzed at a police station for an hour then released.

Last night he insisted he was an animal lover and said he had been drinking at the time.

He told the Sun: ‘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 investigating 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.