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A man filmed holding a swan by its neck near Caerphilly Castle has had a criminal charge of taking a wild bird against him dropped.

Scott Price, 35, was arrested after footage showed him gripping the bird and dragging it along the path.

Price, of Skenfrith Close, Cefn Fforest, was charged with taking a wild bird and appeared at Newport Magistrates’ Court on December 18.

He denied the charge, which has now been dropped on “legal evidential” grounds. However, the Crown Prosecution Service, when asked by Caerphilly Observer, refused to explain the reasons for this.

Brandon Ryzy, 21, filmed the attack on Sunday December 3 and appealed on Facebook for information to catch the person responsible. He said: “Does anybody know this man in Caerphilly town?

“I was walking home from Christmas shopping and he had gripped a swan/goose by the neck and dragging it across the path saying it attacked his child, but had no child with him.”

Mr Ryzy said the bird was “flapping” and “dropped down to the floor” after being released and it “seemed to be in shock.”

He said: “I watched the man walk off and stayed with the bird to see if it could get itself back to the moat.

“It seemed quite fragile and was moving slowly.”

Last month Price appeared at Newport Magistrates’ Court and was sentenced for an unrelated charge of assaulting a police officer. As he had already served time in custody, the fines he would have paid were waived.