Four ducklings were found dead and covered in oil at a small waterway, days after a rescue failed when the volunteers’ cage was stolen.

Kent Wildlife Rescue Service was called to The Fleet in Sheerness on April 15 after reports of around 10 abandoned ducklings.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE BELOW

Volunteer Gill Bishop told KentOnline: “Some of our volunteers went down and managed to catch two of the ducklings.

“We were down there for a good few hours trying to catch another two, and trying to find any others.

“At one point we put our cage down. Two of us had nets and one was throwing bread trying to tempt the birds out, with no success.

“We were in the reeds further down the bank and as we walked back towards the car the cage had gone.”

The next day, Lorraine March, who runs the rescue, went back to the site with another volunteer and the pair managed to save another two ducklings.

“They went the next few days and didn't manage to find any more,” Gill added.

On April 18, rescue volunteers attended the site to discover oil pollution in the water.

Gill explained: “Unfortunately we found four more of the ducklings dead.

“The other pair of ducks that had been seen on the water had gone so we don’t know if they flew away or if they were killed.

“The Environment Agency went down and put absorbent booms in The Fleet to try and soak up the oil.

“We went back on April 20 and the bank was still covered in oil.

“The objects they put down hadn’t been changed. They were sodden with the oil so they weren’t doing any good at that point.

“There was a lot of oil visible on the water, you could smell the pollution as well.”

She said when they first attended the site, there were seven shopping trolleys dumped in the water as well as cans and bottles.

However she said the Environment Agency removed five of the trolleys.

“There’s absolutely all sorts in there,” Gill explained

“I believe it has been a problem for a while, going by what locals have said it has been polluted once before and it killed all the wildlife and fish in there.

“Locals who saw us trying to catch the bird said they used to go fishing there when they were kids but all the rubbish and everything prevents that now.

“Some of the shopping trolleys and metal in there are rusted so you can see they’ve been there for some time and that it's not a recent thing.

“With the number of drink cans along the pathway, I would say it’s a bit of a late-night thing for people to go and drink beer and sit by the water and leave their rubbish behind.”

She went back to check on the wildlife yesterday (April 24) and located a pair of Coots and a nest of babies

She added: “We couldn’t get to them so we have to wait until they come out into the open.

“Two representatives from the Environment Agency were there to investigate the cause of the pollution, along with some contractors who were trying to clear it.

“More of the absorbent booms have been put in place and any oil contaminated rubbish will be removed.

“They expect to be there for the next few days we will be keeping a close eye out for any wildlife that needs help.

“When we first attended, all the waste bins, including dog waste, were full and overflowing with contents scattered everywhere.

“This was still the case on Saturday but when we visited today (April 24), these had been emptied.”

The rescued ducklings have now been sent to The Swan Sanctuary in Middlesex.

The local Tesco branch in Sheerness also donated £50 to the charity to go towards replacing the stolen cage.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We are aware of the oil spill on The Fleet and are currently dealing with it.

“Our contractors have been on site and placed booms to contain the oil.

“We continue to work with partners to investigate the cause and mitigate any environmental impacts downstream.

“Members of the public can report suspected pollution, to our 24-hour free Incident Hotline - 0800 80 70 60.”