Swans in lead poison shock

Bewdley's swans have been removed from the river because nearly all the birds have lead poisoning.

Anglers are being blamed for polluting The Severn with outlawed lead weights. Now there are plans for a no-fishing zone along a stretch of water near the town centre amid claims it is the worst place in the country for poisoning.

But the move has sparked anger from anglers who deny they are to blame for the problem.

Swan sanctuary owner Jan Harrigan today said around 65 birds have had to be removed from the riverside this year and are now being treated at her centre in Wychbold.

She said blood tests from the swans, which have been sent away to a veterinary laboratory in Shrewsbury, have all shown a high concentration of lead.

She is now trying to have a stretch along the river made into a no-fishing zone. Four ill birds were taken from the river last Thursday and their test results are still awaited.

She said today: "The birds don't recover overnight. Some of them have to stay here for weeks. There are very few birds left in Bewdley now. A total of 65 birds have been found suffering from lead poisoning in Bewdley since January and most of them are still here.

"Birds can fly up the river of course but the last time I counted there were only three or four birds in Bewdley. It is the worst place in the country for poisoning."

Anglers have reacted with anger to a potential no fishing zone and insist they no-longer use lead shot.

However Mrs Harrigan said today that the laboratory tests prove that the birds have high levels of lead in their blood.

She said: "I know what the anglers are saying. They have told me I must prove that the birds are ill because of lead. So now it's up to them to prove they are not responsible."

Drew Clifford owner of The Mug House pub along the river said: "I don't think the fisherman are to blame, I think it must coming from people shooting."