Boy arrested following Bradley Lowery taunt

What the report says

Police in the West Midlands say they are investigating a social media video that appeared to show a Coventry City fan taunting Sunderland supporters with an image of Bradley Lowery, the young Black Cats fan who died in 2017 after battling a rare childhood cancer. BBC Sport and the Nile Post report that a 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and later bailed after handing himself in to police.

The incident was linked to Saturday’s Premier League match between Coventry City and Sunderland. Coventry City said it was aware of footage circulating online and that it would work with the relevant authorities to decide what action, if any, should follow. Police said they understood the distress caused and were keeping Bradley Lowery’s family updated as the inquiry continued.

Bradley’s mother, Gemma Lowery, responded publicly through Instagram and the Bradley Lowery Foundation, saying her son’s memory should be treated with love rather than hate. She also said she did not want abuse aimed at the teenager, but hoped he would learn from what happened. The case has prompted renewed attention to online abuse and how football clubs and police respond to offensive behaviour at matches.