A shocking video which shows a boy throwing a helpless cat off a cliff and into water in Lancashire has been circulating online.

The video, a screen recording of a video message from the Snapchat app, was shared on social media just before 11am today (Tuesday, July 11).

In the short clip, a boy is shown holding the black and white cat in one arm, before hurling it off the cliff and into the water.

The person recording films the cat falling through the air and hitting the water before the video ends.

Lancashire Police confirmed on Twitter it has been alerted to the distressing video, featuring animal cruelty, which is believed to have taken place in the Morecambe or Carnforth areas of the county, and have launched an investigation.

A spokesperson for the police said: “We are aware of a video which has been posted on social media which appears to show an act of cruelty to a cat in the Carnforth area.

“This is a matter which we are investigating - we are establishing the exact circumstances and where it happened.

“Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting log 1803 of July 10.”

Due to the graphic nature of the recording which many people would find upsetting, the Lancashire Telegraph will not be sharing this video or links to this clip on external sites.