Swans shot dead on Leeds-Liverpool Canal

Two swans have been shot dead on the Leeds Liverpool Canal in Burnley – in a callous act described as “sickening” by the cyclist who found them.

By The Newsroom

Published 15th Sep 2015, 07:10 BST

A third swan appeared to have been shot and injured on a stretch of the canal at Bank Hall, off Colne Road, according to Burnley man Andrew Brown.

Mr Brown was cycling along the canal at 9-30am last Sunday when he spotted the slaughtered birds.

He said: “I think it is sickening. The first swan I saw was still alive but was bleeding from the wing and looked very distressed. It looked like it had been shot by a pellet.

“A bit further on I saw two other birds in the canal that were clearly dead. They were a different colour to the swan but looked similar.

“It is very sad that someone would go out of their deliberately harm such beautiful creatures.”

Mr Brown contacted the police who told him to inform the RSPCA. The organisation later sent out inspectors to the scene.

The RSPCA were unavailable for comment.