Duck race postponed due to nesting swans

A town's popular duck race which draws hundreds of people has been postponed.

The annual race, which takes place in Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire and includes hundreds of small rubber ducks dropped over the Town Bridge into the River Avon, was scheduled for Easter Monday.

However, due to the presence of nesting swans, a Bradford-on-Avon Town Council spokesperson said they had been forced to postpone and was "working hard to reschedule the event".

"It's important that we don't disturb them [the swans] or their nest and eggs," they added.

Protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is criminal offence to intentionally injure or kill a wild swan, take swans, or destroy their active nests and eggs, in the UK.

The spokesperson also said wet weather had also made the ground at Westbury Garden, near to the Town Bridge, "soft underfoot", impacting its capacity for crowds.

The event, which sees hundreds of rubber ducks dropped by local people in a bid to win prizes, was rescheduled in 2024 due to high river levels which impacted safety.

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