When confronted the driver is alleged to have said ‘I don’t f****** care’
Police are hunting a van driver accused of running over three ducklings because he “could not wait” for them to cross the road along with four other family members.
The incident is said to have happened in Stoke-on-Trent Friday, when traffic stopped to allow a family of ducks to cross the road at Trentham Gardens.
A man driving a white van has since been accused of crushing three of the seven young birds after images were shared on Facebook showing the animals lying dead on the road.
Staffordshire Police said officers are looking into the claims about what took place in Trentham to establish if any offences have been committed under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Steven Walley wrote on Facebook that he was driving on the A34 at Trentham Gardens roundabout when a family of seven ducklings was crossing the road.
“All the traffic stopped to let them cross but disgustingly this van driver, after initially stopping, could not then wait for the five seconds it would have taken to let them cross and drove straight over them, crushing three of them.”
Walley said he followed the van to a nearby layby before having a “very heated conversation” with the driver, who he claims, when confronted, said, “I don’t f***ing care”.
We understand this is an emotive issue for many people and we ask please that you do not take matters into your own hands.
— Staffordshire Police (@StaffsPolice) May 21, 2022
Staffordshire Police said it had made contact with “the author” of the Facebook post and are not working to establish if any offences have been committed.
“We are aware of a post circulating of a van driver who is believed to have killed ducklings in Trentham,” the force wrote on Twitter.
“We have made contact with the author of the post and are establishing potential offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
“We understand this is an emotive issue for many people and we ask please that you do not take matters into your own hands.”
The RSPCA also tweeted in response: “We understand police are looking into this shocking incident. We’d urge anyone who has first-hand information about this to contact local police on 101 or our cruelty line on 0300 1234 999. ‘Our phone lines are currently very busy so apologies if there’s a delay getting through.”
Staffordshire Police said later Monday that a 61-year-old man had been voluntarily interviewed and that “enquiries are on-going”.
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