Teens arrested for 'hate crime' photo of George Floyd death

George Floyd died while being pinned to the ground by a police officer in the US

Three teenagers have been arrested after a picture was posted online appearing to imitate the death of George Floyd.

Mr Floyd's death in police custody in Minneapolis has caused riots and protests across the USA.

A picture purportedly taken in Gateshead was circulated online showing two men apparently recreating Mr Floyd's death.

Northumbria Police said it is treating the incident as a "hate crime".

'Significant upset'

A spokeswoman said two 19-year-old men and one 18-year-old have been arrested on suspicion of sending communications causing anxiety and distress.

The trio have since been released on bail.

"We understand that this social media post has caused significant upset and we want to reassure the public it is being investigated robustly and is being treated as a hate crime," the spokeswoman said.

Footage of the arrest of Mr Floyd on 25 May shows a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on Mr Floyd's neck while he was handcuffed and pinned to the ground.

Mr Chauvin, 44, has since been charged with murder.