Police have seized catapults from two 11-year-old boys in Canterbury.

The youngsters were stopped in Godwin Road after being seen with the sling shots.

Although not being used at the time, there has been growing concern in the city about young people firing catapults at ducklings and other wildlife on the river.

Officers have been on alert to spot potential offenders and stopped the boys on Friday afternoon.

An officer later spoke to their parents to let them know that they were found with the catapults and warned them of the dangers of using them.

Police community support officer Tom Chapman said: ‘Unfortunately we have recently had an issue with people shooting and killing ducks with catapults in the Canterbury area and I felt it important to speak to these boys and their parents about the potential consequences of carrying such weapons.

"Though they may seem like a harmless bit of fun, catapults can cause a huge amount of damage and unfortunately there have been cases where people have been hurt and animals killed."