Beddington Park: Wild birds found shot in London park

Two birds have been found shot in a park in south London, the latest in what locals say are a number of wildlife-related shootings in the area.

A mallard duck was found dead with a gunshot wound to the neck in Beddington Park on 19 April, while a Canada goose was discovered with a shot beak.

Locals said the attacks had been the fourth such shootings involving air weapons in the last two years.

Sutton Council said it was unaware of any recent shootings in the park.

The goose, which was discovered on the same day as the duck, survived the attack but is being monitored by locals.

Local animal rights activist, Saffron Gloyne, said "The mallard was shot in the neck, and the wound bled out - it would have been so painful."

She added it had been decided it "would be too stressful to move" the goose, but "hopefully he can just live with the hole in his beak".

Ms Goyne said she was worried about the threat of violence to other local wildlife as "it has happened too often now for people to say it is a one off".

"I have personally dealt with foxes who have been shot in the head," she said.

Home Office guidelines state that "it is an offence to have an air weapon in a public place without a reasonable excuse".

However, it is ultimately up to the courts to decide what a "reasonable excuse" is.

In response to the attacks, Sutton Council said it was unaware of any recent shootings in the park, but added the safer parks team had been patrolling the area.

The Metropolitan Police has been approached for comment.

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