Outrage over swan savaged by uncontrolled dog

Bird-lovers were in tears after a Great Dane, one of three large dogs running loose in the park, snatched the pen from in front of her mate and their solitary cygnet and dragged it for 100 yards.

Egerton Park's boat attendant, Brian Balcombe, chased the dog until it dropped the swan. But he was too late to save the bird and it died in his arms.

East Sussex Wildlife Rescue officer Trevor Weeks immediately called for the owner of the dogs to be prosecuted.

But his call had already been pre-empted by police who after interviewing the owner reported her under the Dangerous Dogs Act for having an animal out of control in a public place.

Rother council leader Cllr Graham Gubby is among those who have been horrified by Sunday's attack, particularly the implications for the many young families who use the park.

He says Rother must now look carefully at what action must be taken to safeguard the public in future.

Government-funded Sure Start is about to embark on a major project to build a children's centre on the former swimming pool site.

This means that the park will be used by even greater numbers of children.

The pair of wild swans which arrived in the park in the Spring have had a difficult time.

They were the subject of so many attacks by stone-throwing youths that as a result of Mr Week's recommendation, Rother had to erect a protective wire screen for the birds' badly-exposed nest.

Only one out of six eggs produced by the immature pair hatched.

After its mate's death on Sunday, the traumatised male paid indifferent attention to the four week-old cygnet - occasionally leaving it to its own devices.

Mr Weeks and a colleague had to wade into the lake on Tuesday and recover the cygnet.

It is now being cared for at the national swan sanctuary.