Calls for catapult ban after spate of duck and swan attacks in Winchester

Both ducks and swans have been targeted along the River Itchen in Winchester. Credit: Robert Truscott

A Hampshire artist, who has witnessed multiple catapult attacks on wildlife, is backing a petition to make it illegal to carry catapults in public places.

Robert Truscott, 52, has seen groups of children, some as young as 10, attacking wildlife along the River Itchen in Winchester.

Some ducks and swans have been killed with others badly injured.

Robert says that when he confronted one of the groups, he was intimidated and spat at.

  • Robert Truscott, Resident

He said: "They were just basically, in broad daylight, going around in the centre of a reserve of Winchester College with catapults, seeing all the waterfowl as open targets.

"Swans, ducks, moorhens, fish, you name it, they'd have a go at anything that moved basically. I saw strike wounds on the face.

"I was really shocked at first at the aggression that was unleashed onto these beautiful animals."

More than 8,000 people have now signed a petition calling for tougher regulation on catapults.

The petition, set up by Danni Rogers who is a volunteer swan rescuer at The Swan Sanctuary in Shepperton, Surrey, wants to make the sale and public possession of catapults illegal to give police the power to arrest offenders.

As a local artist, Robert sculpts many of the swans he sees along the River Itchen. Credit: Robert Truscott

A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said: "We received a report of an incident in which a man reported being spat at by a group of young people near Domum Road, Winchester, between 4pm and 5pm on Wednesday 21 February.

"It was reported that the same group of young people were firing a catapult at swans.

"We received a report of children using catapults at wildlife near the Garnier Road bridge over the River Itchen on Tuesday 20 February.

"It was also reported that they fired catapults at students who were rowing along the river.

"No injuries were reported directly to police. Officers attended and searched the area, however, no offenders were located.

"There are no active lines of enquiry in both cases, and they have been filed pending further any further information becoming available.

"Anyone with information on either incident can contact us via 101 or our website."

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