Blackpool pupils 'devastated' after school ducks called Boris, Daisy, Donald and Quackers are stolen

Pupils at a Blackpool school have been left devastated after four ducks were stolen.
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Callous thieves have climbed the fence at Kingcraig Primary School on Kingcraig Road in Bispham and have made off with the four ducks named Boris, Daisy, Donald and Quackers.

The school's headteacher Karen Appleby told the Gazette that when staff arrived at the school this morning to let the ducks out, all four of them were nowhere to be seen.

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Karen said that the only way the ducks would have disappeared were if they were taken by someone.

They are Indian runner ducks and cannot flyThey are Indian runner ducks and cannot fly
They are Indian runner ducks and cannot fly

She said: "The ducks are kept in a fenced off enclosure at the back of the school's field the field at the back and they have a pen and a coop which they are put in at night so they are protected from foxes.

"At first we thought it might have been the foxes that may have attacked them but there is a little door at the side on the hatches which was open. There was no feathers or anything gory and if foxes had have got it it would have been mayhem.

"We can only assume that somebody has got onto the field and took them. They are Indian runner ducks so they can't fly either."

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Karen explained how the ducks pen cannot been seen from outside the school's grounds and that there no other signs of disturbance or theft from around the school.

The four ducks have been stolen overnightThe four ducks have been stolen overnight
The four ducks have been stolen overnight

The four ducks were hatched as part of science week in March and have become well loved with pupils at the school.

Karen said: "They came to us as eggs and after they hatched the children fell in love with them so we decided to keep them.

"We purpose built all the hutch and pens and the children came up with the names of Boris, Donald, Daisy and Quackers.

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"They go out and see them all the time and take pictures. The year six children look after them and feed them and water them every morning, so they were absolutely devastated this morning when they found out that they gone.

The ducks were hatched during science week in MarchThe ducks were hatched during science week in March
The ducks were hatched during science week in March

"I just can't understand why now and why so suddenly that someone would come and take them."

Boris was named after the Prime Minister and Karen said the three other ducks follow him about as if he is their leader.

Karen said she would love for the ducks to come back but admitted she does not 'hold out much hope' for the return.

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She said: "I didn't know if anyone had seen anything from nearby but I have put a post out on the school's Facebook page hoping for someone to have seen something or possibly they may have CCTV footage that may have captured the culprits.

Headteacher Karen Appleby hopes they can be safely returnedHeadteacher Karen Appleby hopes they can be safely returned
Headteacher Karen Appleby hopes they can be safely returned

"A lot of the parents are just as shocked as their children by what has happened. They love them just as much as the pupils.

"Whoever has got them please just bring them back because the children love them. They have seen them from being little ducklings and now they are nearly fully grown

"We were banking on the fact that in the next couple of months they were going to start laying eggs and the children were looking forward to collecting the eggs in the morning and now they've gone."

The school is currently going through its CCTV to try and find any footage of the thieves.