DISTRAUGHT residents in Upper Arley have launched a fundraising campaign to buy security cameras and put up signs where more than 30 ducks were found dead in the road last month.

The Shuttle reported last week how the bodies of 34 ducks were found strewn across the road near the River Severn in the village, with residents believing they had been deliberately run over by a motorist as the birds slept at night.

The horrific incident was discovered on the morning of September 19 - with a similar incident also occurring the previous month, with the bodies of 15 ducks found in the same place.

But now, Stephen McLachlan, from Arley Riverside Tearoom, Post Office and General Store, and Graham Stephens, who runs Little Meadow Animal Rescue, are trying to raise at least £350 for CCTV cameras to be installed near to the road and signs to be put up to stop any future incidents.

Mr Stephens said: “The appeal so far is going really well. The more money we can raise, the better cameras we can buy and the more signs we can get to protect the ducks.

“When I went down there this week, all the ducks were around us and some of them were injured, with broken wings.

“It was quite a shock when I saw what had happened to the ducks. There was another incident last week, when another four ducks got killed. We need to stop cars going down there at night.”

Mr McLachlan said the latest incident where four ducks were killed when a car drove through took place on Saturday (October 7), and was witnessed by four children, all under the age of 10.

He added: “The idea behind the fundraising came after Graham had heard about the incident. When we spoke about this with others in the village, they also thought trying to raise the money was a good idea.

"Hopefully, with appropriate signage and the knowledge of cameras in the area, these hooligans will think twice before trying the same trick."

People can donate by visiting the Arley Riverside Tearoom, Post Office and General Store, or by calling Little Meadow Animal Rescue on 01885 410722.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call West Mercia Police on 101, quoting incident reference number 060S of September 19.