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2nd October 2023
08:23am BST
A man has been charged after an image of a six-year-old who died of cancer was displayed at a football match.
Dale Houghton, 31, was arrested on Saturday and has since been charged with a public order offence. He will appear before Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Monday morning (October 2).
The incident took place on Friday night as Sheffield Wednesday took on Sunderland at Hillsborough in the Championship.
In photos shared on social media, a man could be seen with a picture of Bradley Lowery on his phone, which he appeared to be displaying to stand which the Sunderland fans were sat in.
A 27-year-old man who was also arrested on Saturday has been released on police bail while further enquiries are conducted.
Bradley was diagnosed with rare childhood cancer neuroblastoma when he was just 18-months-old.
He became a mascot for Sunderland and his fundraising efforts captured national attention, along with his close friendship with striker Jermain Defoe.
The youngster passed away in 2017 at the age of six.
Following the incident on Friday, more than £11,000 has been raised for the charity set up in his name following his death, The Bradley Lowery Foundation.
In a statement, the foundation said it was "overwhelmed" by the support.
A GoFundMe page has also been set up by Sheffield Wednesday Football Club Women's Supporters' Group to raise money.
Having been set up on Saturday, the page has already beaten its £5,000 target, with the funds going towards a holiday home that the foundation is building in Scarborough, to help bereaved families and children going through treatment.
In their own statement after Friday's match, Sheffield Wednesday condemned the "outrageous and utterly deplorable behaviour."
The club apologised to Bradley's family and friends for the "undoubted distress caused."
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