A MAN has appeared in court charged with causing cruelty to a tropical fish after he allegedly swallowed it in a prank to impress friends.

Chris Caswell, of West Auckland Road, Darlington, denies causing unnecessary suffering to the fish.

He also denies a charge of failing to provide it with a safe environment.

The RSPCA said Mr Caswell entered a pet shop in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, persuaded staff to put a guppy fish in a tumbler of water, paid for the fish and then swallowed it whole.

Experts will now be consulted to examine how much suffering a fish would have endured if it was swallowed.

The alleged incident was captured on video, although it is understood Mr Caswell has questioned how conclusive the images are as evidence.

The video appeared on Facebook. It appears to show a man in the Petals and Pets shop in Beverage Arcade, Newton Aycliffe.

He speaks with a shop assistant, who catches a fish from a tank and seems to place it in the tumbler.

The man then walks to the counter, holding the tumbler, pays for the fish and then drinks the contents of the tumbler as someone off screen shouts: “Goldfish down the hatch.”

Mr Caswell is also questioning the prosecution’s claim that the incident happened in April this year.

Mr Caswell appeared at Darlington Magistrates’ Court yesterday to confirm his name and address and to indicate not guilty pleas.

His one-day trial was scheduled for Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court in March.