Duck and ducklings saved from rooftop back in wild

A duck and her brood have been released back into the wild after being rescued from a town centre rooftop by firefighters.

A crew was called to Minster Street in Reading on Wednesday afternoon after one of the fledgling ducklings was found to have dropped from its lofty nest, while its siblings could be heard quacking.

Firefighters reached the stricken waterfowl on the three-storey building using ladders and brought them to safety in a pet carrier bag.

The duck and nine ducklings were taken into the care of Swan Lifeline where they were given a health check before being released on to a nearby river.

Claudia Jones, from the Eton-based rescue and treatment charity, helped with the rescue and said the duckling that dropped down from the nest had been "kept safe in a blanket by members of the public".

"The firefighters collected nine ducklings and the mother, it was fantastic," Ms Jones said.

"We gave them all a health check... all were healthy. We then released them on to a local river where they were all safe and happy with mum."

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