Duck ban

DUCKS have been banned from a village duck pond.The 16 ducks have been branded pests after killing off other wildlife in the pond.

They have been allowed to stay to rear their chicks this spring, but will then be rounded up and "relocated".

But villagers claim the ducks are a local attraction and children love to go to the pond every day to throw them bread.

Andrew Wigley-Jones, 37, said, "My three-year-old daughter Sophie loves going to see the ducks. They are part of the character of the village and they bring the community together.

"I have met lots of other parents while our children are feeding the ducks."

The mallards were given as a gift to the village of Creigiau, near Cardiff, years ago, and have since bred with wild ducks.

Every spring the proud parent birds can be seen waddling around the pond with their ducklings trailing behind them.

But the community council says the pond is now overrun with ducks, who have munched through all the other wildlife, including frogspawn.

Secretary to the community council Alec Davies said, "There are almost no frogs, newts and sticklebacks in the pond this year. The ducks are destroying the habitat and we have made a decision to relocate them.

"Some children would be distressed, but the greater good would be served."

The ducks will be relocated to a nearby lake later this summer.