Horrified witnesses have voiced their shock after a man claiming to be a vampire beheaded two pigeons and drank their blood in a busy New York park.

The man then waited for police to arrive after throwing one of the dead pigeons at someone who was eating their lunch.

The man has been taken into custody.

Sickening images of the aftermath were posted on social media as police confirmed the man had been taken into custody

A stunned witness, aged 32, told the New York Post after the incident in Bryant Park: 'He was holding up the pigeons and drinking their blood, letting the blood drip down his shirt.'

And the witness added: 'It was pretty disgusting.'

Another woman in the park told the Post that the man was calm when police arrived.