Blackpool seagull: is the picture of a man dragging the bird on a dog lead real, did the seagull die and has the man been arrested?

The footage first surfaced on social media and is believed to have been taken in Blackpool.

Police have issued a statement on what action they have taken against a Blackpool man seen ‘walking’ a seagull on a dog’s lead through the streets of the resort. Pictures and video of the man ‘walking’ the gull on Devonshire Road, near Bispham roundabout, circulated on Facebook this week, with many expressing concern for the seabird’s welfare.

The man, aged in his 50s, was stopped by police on Monday evening and arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, while the bird was taken off him by a member of the public. It was taken to a local vets but sadly had to be put down due to being unwell.