Sickened residents are campaigning for a stronger police presence in Halstead after a group of youths kicked and killed a duck.

An elderly couple, who asked not to be named, said they saw a group of eight boys, wearing dark trousers and white T-shirts, tackle a family of ducks at about 10pm last Friday.

The attack, which resulted in the death of one duck, happened in Sainsbury’s car park in Halstead’s High Street.

A grandmother, 65, who said she saw the boys arrive from a window overlooking the car park, said: “One of them rugby tackled the ducks then he kicked them and this little thing was fluttering around and it was in agony."

See this week's Halstead Gazette for the full story.