Boys caught firing catapults at swans in Stonehouse

18 April 2019, 12:34 | Updated: 18 April 2019, 12:36

Police in Stroud are trying to identify three teenage boys who were seen firing catapults at swans.

Police in Stroud are trying to identify three teenage boys who were seen firing catapults at swans.

They also turned on two off duty police officers who challenged them.

It happened at around 3pm on Sunday 7 April as the two officers were cycling along the canal path in Stonehouse.

When they spoke to them one of the boys fired his catapult at one of the officers, the pellet hitting the officer's rucksack, before they all ran off.

Descriptions of the three boys are:

1 - white, 16 to 18-years-old, large build, wearing a red hoodie

2- white, smaller than the first, wearing a grey striped hoodie 

3 - black, 16 to 18-years-old , hair shaved at the sides of his head.

PC Mel Campbell, rural and wildlife crime officer for the Stroud area, said:

"This is just not acceptable behaviour and we will do all we can to find those responsible. The pellets they were firing could have seriously injured the swans and pose a threat to people and property."

Local officers will be carrying out extra patrols in the area and would like to hear from anyone with information to contact them on 101, quoting incident 328 of 7 April