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Edward 'cruelty' claim checked
The RSPCA is looking into allegations that the Earl of Wessex hit his dog while out shooting, it said yesterday.
An inspector from the animal charity has begun a fact-finding exercise after it received complaints following the publication of pictures that apparently show Edward striking his black Labrador with a walking stick. A spokeswoman said the complaint would be treated like any other.
Animal charities have accused the Earl of setting a "sickening example" by his apparent actions.
But Buckingham Palace said Edward waved his stick to break up a fight between his two dogs over a dead pheasant at the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk last week.
An RSPCA spokeswoman said: "We have received a small number of complaints from members of the public.
"They are concerned by the story they have read in the
Press and we're dealing with it as we would any other complaint."
She added: "The only evidence we have at the moment are the pictures – it's not clear from the photos what's going on.
"We don't know if we are going to go on to a full investigation until the incident has been looked at in more detail."
Any person caught harming animals could face prosecution, campaigners said.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
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