Birds are suffering agonising deaths at the hands of anglers using a Bilston pool where fishing should be banned but is allowed to continue by council chiefs, it was revealed today.

RSPCA officials have been forced to run a gauntlet of hate to reach injured wild fowl and feel so intimidated they could stop attending incidents at the scene alone. They say at least one of the pigeons, seagulls, ducks, swans and geese living around Ladymoor Pool in Highfields Road is hurt each week after becoming entangled in discarded tackle.

Two terrified Canada geese are currently in danger of dying with fishing lines wrapped around their legs because they can still fly and have proved impossible to catch for treatment.

The rising injury toll has triggered an angry attack on conditions at the pool with animal welfare officials and local residents joining forces to demand people using the facility clean up their act.

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Birds are suffering agonising deaths at the hands of anglers using a Bilston pool where fishing should be banned but is allowed to continue by council chiefs, it was revealed today.

RSPCA officials have been forced to run a gauntlet of hate to reach injured wild fowl and feel so intimidated they could stop attending incidents at the scene alone. They say at least one of the pigeons, seagulls, ducks, swans and geese living around Ladymoor Pool in Highfields Road is hurt each week after becoming entangled in discarded tackle.

Two terrified Canada geese are currently in danger of dying with fishing lines wrapped around their legs because they can still fly and have proved impossible to catch for treatment.

The rising injury toll has triggered an angry attack on conditions at the pool with animal welfare officials and local residents joining forces to demand people using the facility clean up their act.

RSPCA collection officer Kelly Evans, aged 27, said today: “It is a disgrace that litter is causing long and painful deaths to wild birds.

“The two injured Canada geese are in danger of losing their legs. It is terrible to see but we have been trying to treat them for two months without success because they fly off before we can catch them.

“I get terrible abuse from people fishing at the pool. The situation has been getting so bad recently I don’t feel safe working there on my own any more.

“I have no problem with fishing as long as anglers act responsibly, but some are not cleaning up before they leave and this is endangering the lives of wild birds.”

Ms Evans has also found knives and dirty syringes where children feed the ducks.

Julia Corrigan, spokeswoman for Wolverhampton City Council, said: “There is a by-law relating to this pool that generally prohibits fishing unless the local authority specifically permit it. There are no signs to explain this because it is a by-law enforceable by choice and our experience is that local fishermen using the pool add to its security. We would always advise them to be responsible and collect discarded line.”