Bestwood Park: Duck found with horrific fishing wire injuries

The Friends of Bestwood Country Park group said fishing at Mill Lakes was not allowed

A duck has been put down by an animal rescue group after it was found with "horrific injuries" caused by discarded fishing line.

Brinsley Animal Rescue said the mallard became "entangled in reams of fishing wire" in Bestwood Country Park, Nottingham, on Wednesday.

Along with serious leg injuries, the animal had lacerations on its body, wing and bill.

The charity said ending the duck's life was the kindest decision.

A woman, who does not want to be named, found it entangled in the water at Mill Lakes.

She said her husband used a stick to reach the duck and they were able to lift it out the water.

"Its foot was all curled up and its leg wasn't in the direction it should have been in.

"It was bleeding from its beak a little bit as well," she said.

Jon Beresford said it looked like the duck had been tangled in the wire for several days

She said the wire was so long they could not find the end, and had to cut it using a penknife borrowed from a passer-by.

She said: "It's not the first time we've found animals up there tangled in fishing line.

"A few years ago we found a magpie hanging from a tree.

"It had fishing line around its leg and it was dangling from its leg."

Jon Beresford, from Brinsley Animal Rescue, said it was a problem they were seeing "more often than we should".

"We do get fishing line and fishing hooks every few weeks.

"Sadly, by the time someone has managed to catch them or we've got to them, they are severely injured, they're in shock and they're weak - it's too late by then," he said.

The Friends of Bestwood Country Park group said fishing at Mill Lakes was not allowed.