Police are investigating after footage of a teenager hurling a terrified dog off a cliff in Cornwall emerged.

The incident occurred in Falmouth on Wednesday and saw the young man grasp the shaking animal in his arms before throwing it into the sea, as the person filming laughs loudly. 

The clip was shared on Snapchat and has been widely condemned on social media amid fears for the safety of the dog.

Threats have been made towards the individual concerned and officers from Devon and Cornwall Police have urged the public to leave the investigation to the authorities and “not take the law into their own hands.”

The dog survived the fall uninjured and the investigation is ongoing as enquiries continue.  

An RSPCA spokesman said: “We are aware of upsetting footage that has been circulated on social media and we are looking into it.

“We are not always able to discuss what action may or may not have been taken for legal reasons but we can confirm that the dog involved has been seen by an RSPCA inspector and is fine.

“This is distressing footage but we would like to remind people that it involves young people and we would urge people to leave the appropriate authorities to deal with it.”