Pair of Leeds Middleton Park swans shot and killed in 'harrowing' attack

The pair of birds died after being shot with pellets in Middleton Park on Thursday

Two swans have died after being shot in a "harrowing" attack in a Leeds park.

The breeding pair was fired at with pellets in Middleton Park at about 11:55 GMT on Thursday, police said.

The male was shot in the neck and died at the scene, while the female was shot five times in the head and died later at an animal hospital.

Dan Sidley, from Yorkshire Swan and Wildlife Rescue Hospital, said: "It's incredibly devastating. Such deliberate cruelty is hard to comprehend."

Mr Sidley, the charity's founder, added: "The male was already dead. The female bird was dying when we found her and later succumbed to her injuries."

The hospital had cared for the birds over a number of years, freeing them from fishing lines and hooks, he said.

Mr Sidley said the swans were friendly and had produced many cygnets.

"For them to end in this way is so awful, harrowing. I think what I saw yesterday will stay with me for the rest of my life."

Police have appealed for witnesses to the incident to come forward.