Prince Edward 'struck dog' claim

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Prince Edward

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An inquiry has begun due to claims that a British Royal struck a Labrador with a walking stick.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) have said they are looking into the allegation regarding  Prince Andrew, but said it's a fact-finding exercise, not a full inquiry.

Buckingham Palace said the prince waved his stick to break up a fight between his two dogs over a dead pheasant.

A spoksperson for the RASPA 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."

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "It has not been determined that he did strike the dog. He broke up the fight with the dogs and pictures show him waving his stick around. We cannot confirm, however, whether he struck the dog."

Sources used:

• BBC NEWS
• The Press Association
• Lothian and Borders Police- Press Release