A Spanish football fan has been charged with animal cruelty after being accused of attacking a referee by throwing a dog at him.

The incident occurred during a local football match between Andalusian Comarca del Marmol and La Canada Atletico teams in Almeria, at the Juan Jose Rodriguez stadium.

As the referee was approaching the bench at the end of the game, the man grabbed the dog from the arms of another football fan and threw it at the referee, who managed to dodge the collision.

The dog was thrown seven metres (23ft) and crawled on to the pitch in pain. It eventually recovered without sustaining injury.

A fight reportedly erupted between the dog's owner and the suspect.

The alleged aggressor has been charged with animal abuse and will also have to pay a fine for inciting violence during a sporting event.