Shocking footage has emerged appearing to show a woman dragging a child up a high street by the leash of its harness.
In the clip, a woman dressed in dark leggings and a jumper appears to hold a rucksack in her left hand and the reins of the youngster’s harness in her right – as the child trails along the pavement behind her.
Joe Cain, who shared the video on his Twitter feed yesterday afternoon, has insisted the clip captured in central Liverpool is genuine – despite some viewers suggesting the child is in fact a doll.
After sharing the video online, Joe, from Liverpool, told the Echo: ‘I was walking through town and the kid fell over and then the woman saw the kid had fallen but kept on walking.
‘The kid seemed fine with everything to be honest, it was people who saw it that seemed worse off. She walked on like that for a while.’
He added: ‘It sort of caught everyone off guard really, nobody knew what to say or do.’
The video, which has had thousands of views, more than 7,800 favourites and 4,300 retweets, has sparked mixed reaction between viewers.
Shocking: Footage shot in Liverpool has emerged appearing to show a woman dragging a child up a high street by the leash of its harness
Hoax? The video, filmed in Liverpool, has been viewed thousands of times since cameraman Joe Cain shared it on his Twitter feed yesterday afternoon – with some commenters expressing disgust at the woman’s actions while others question if the child is in fact a doll
Daniel Todd said: ‘That’s so so wrong,’ while another commenter added: ‘That’s pretty bad. Did no one stop her or step in?’
But Iain Hamilton added: ‘That’s not a real person / child – you’re tricking us here.’
But Joe has repeatedly insisted the child was real and that his video – though shocking – is genuine.
MailOnline has contacted Merseyside Police for further information, including whether or not the video has been reported to them.
Unbelievable: In the clip, the woman appears to hold a rucksack in her left hand and the reins of the youngster’s harness in her right – as the child trails along the pavement behind her