A call centre worker who uploaded footage of his girlfriend's dog doing a Nazi salute and jumping when it heard 'gas the Jews' has been arrested.

Markus Meechan, 28, of Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, spent the night behind bars after police arrived at his home and arrested him on suspicion of a hate crime.

The video, which received almost a million views, showed Meechan's girlfriend's pet pug Buddha responding to anti-semitic phrases and jumping up on hearing the words: 'Gas the Jews.'

Call centre worker Markus Meechan, 28, of Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, spent the night behind bars after he uploaded a video which showed his girlfriend's pet pug Buddha responding to anti-semitic phrases

He was later released and a report has been sent to the procurator fiscal in relation to an alleged breach of the electronic communications act of 2003.

Meechan also filmed the two-year-old dog watching speeches made by Hitler from the Leni Riefenstahl directed film 'Olympia' which documented the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

On another occasion he filmed it lifting its paw on hearing the words: 'Sieg Heil.'

The dog belongs to his girlfriend Suzanne Kelly, 28.

Police said the arrest should be a warning that videos which cause offence will not be tolerated.

Detective Inspector David Cockburn said: 'This clip was shared online and has been viewed almost one million times.

The video, which received almost a million views, showed Meechan's girlfriend's pet pug Buddha responding to anti-semitic phrases and jumping up on hearing the words: 'Gas the Jews'

'I would ask anyone who has had the misfortune to have viewed it to think about the pain and hurt the narrative has caused a minority of people in our community.

'The clip is deeply offensive and no reasonable person can possibly find the content acceptable in today's society.'

He added: 'This arrest should serve as a warning to anyone posting such material online, or in any other capacity, that such views will not be tolerated.

'This clip has been shared and viewed online, which ultimately has caused offence and hurt to many people in our community.

Salute: The dog could be seen in the video doing a Nazi salute whenever Mr Meechan said 'sieg heil'

'There is no place for hate crime in Scotland and police take all reports of incidents seriously.'

Despite the trouble the two minute and 23 seconds clip has caused Meechan, the video remains available on YouTube and has been viewed more than 938,000 times.

Last month call centre worker Meechan apologised to the Jewish community for the video, which he said was made to annoy his girlfriend.

He said: 'I am not a racist at all, anybody who knows me could tell you that.

'I'm freaked out because everyone's going to actually think that I hate Jews now and I don't at all. I'm kind of panicked about it.

'Honestly, I don't hate anyone, the whole purpose of this was just to annoy my girlfriend.

'I just want everyone to know that I don't wish any ill-will on any race or anything, it's just how shock comedy works.

Vile: Buddha was also filmed pressing up against the television while a film of Hitler giving a speech was on

'It was strictly made to annoy my girlfriend and give my friends something to laugh at.

'I am so sorry to the Jewish community for any offence I have caused them. This was never my intention and I apologise.'

Mr Meechan declined to comment when approached yesterday(Mon).

Jonathan Sacerdoti, Director of Communications at the Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: 'There is nothing remotely funny about this video.

'Mocking the death of over six million Jews - about a third of the entire Jewish people - demonstrates the dangers of ignoring antisemitism, denigrating the Holocaust through false comparisons and failing to educate the next generation.'

Mr Meechan was arrested on April 28 and kept in custody overnight before being released on bail from Airdrie Sheriff Court the next morning but the arrest has only just come to light.