RESIDENTS have been shocked to discover the death of one of Hammond's Pond beloved cygnets as a result, they say, of youngsters carelessly fishing in the park's pond.
On Sunday, a group of children was observed to be fishing near a family of swans, reportedly using sweetcorn as bait.
Tragically, one of the cygnets ingested the sweetcorn along with the hook, causing the fishing line to become entangled and trapping the cygnet.
The incident has raised concerns amongst local residents about the disregard for wildlife and the lack of enforcement in the area, particularly due to it being the second cygnet death in a week.
“It's just quite shocking because on the signs it says no fishing and people are just blatantly ignoring that," said concerned resident, Karen Hodgson.
“Normally the pond is a great community area - that is when it's not being trashed by guys on the quad bike who are also disturbing the locals.
“Most of the people are really good when they’re fishing, but you do get the odd one and it’s causing the wildlife to suffer," she said.
Praise was given to three younger boys who stayed with the injured cygnet along with a member of the public until help arrived.
The swan was taken to Craig Robinson Vets for surgery.
It was reported on social media the cygnet has since died.
“The council is doing so well at the moment with not cutting the grass and it's encouraging the bird life and the butterflies but what’s the point of that when things like this happen?
“If there was a police presence in the area or if the kids could be supervised while fishing or mentored so that somebody can show them how to do it and how it's good to clean up after themselves and not leave the wires and line and weights and hooks for birds, and potentially other children, to injure themselves on," Karen said.
A spokesperson from Cumberland Council said: "Following the transition into Cumberland the Council is reviewing the park bylaws to ensure a common approach across all sites.
"At Hammonds Pond the Council has prohibited fishing and will use appropriate legislation and enforcement.
"All wildlife injuries (swans / ducks / other animals injured as a result of fishing) are wildlife crimes.
"Information about wildlife crime and how to report it is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/wildlife-crime-and-how-to-report-it
"The council is currently reviewing the signage at Hammonds Pond to ensure that users of the park are aware that fishing is prohibited," they said.
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