There seems to be a recent spate of ‘live fish swallowing' and according to the Daily Mail, 30-year-old Chris Caswell is the latest to join the phenomenon in an attempt to impress friends at a local fish shop.
The video of the incident was posted on Facebook and was taken after Mr Caswell asked staff to put the £1.99 guppy in a glass of water. In the background someone can be heard shouting 'down the hatch' as Caswell swallows the poor fish.
According to the RSPCA Chris Caswell paid for the guppy first at the Petals and Pets Store in County Durham.
Caswell also questioned how valid the video was as evidence of the act. It is uncertain whether or not the shop assistant caught the fish prior to handing the tumbler over.
Nonetheless the incident has been taken to court and experts will be consulted as to how much suffering the fish would have endured had it been swallowed. Although denying the claim, Chris Caswell is also being accused of failing to provide a safe environment for the guppy.
The one-day trial is scheduled for Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court in March 2011.