A SWAN was killed after a group of the birds was pushed down the River Avon in Fordingbridge.

The owner of The George Inn in Fordingbridge said she wants people to be better educated on the risks of kayaking on the river, as it drives groups, or a bevy of swans into different territories.

Caroline Roylance said: “I have seen more kayakers and paddle boarders and it’s breeding time for all the animals. We have seen them drive a big group of swans down towards us.

“Swans are territorial at this time of year, if swans go into other swans’ territory, they attack. We have had paddle boarders push 25 swans down the river. We lost a cygnet, it was killed.”

Ms Roylance said she ran around to a bevy of swans being driven down the river on Wednesday and found a male swan attacking another swan onto a fence.

“I screamed at them and they went into the water,” she continued.

“The male then started drowning it. These kayakers were not doing it maliciously.

“I would like people to be more educated. You can’t just row down a river because it is a nice day. It is spring, they are bringing up their offspring.”

The chaos with the swans forms part of a catalogue of antisocial events on the river lately, Ms Roylance said.

It is reported that groups visiting Fordingbridge had been chasing and stoning ducks, as well as catching ducklings in nets.

Ms Roylance said: “The people who are coming out are the people who don’t care generally. If you don’t care about a pandemic, you don’t care about anything.”

A spokesperson for Hampshire Police said officers attended Fordingbridge Recreational Ground but the group had dispersed.

They said: “We’re unable to confirm if any ducklings or cygnets were killed as our officers found no evidence of this, despite searching the surrounding area.

“If anyone has any further information contact us quoting reference number 44200195985.”