People have spoken of their shock, anger and desperate need of CCTV to stop yobbish behaviour after youths with an air gun peppered a house with pellets and left a swan dead.

The lifeless bird was found on Wednesday morning by a fisherman at Brownes Pond, Bridgwater after youths had been shooting an air rifle in the area.

A neighbour had called the police on Tuesday night at around 9.45pm to report four youths firing what is believed to be an air rifle at houses and cars.

Although police have not confirmed that the swan was deliberately shot by the youths Neil Smallwood, of Friends of Brownes Pond said he is certain that the animal was killed by an air rifle pellet.

He said: “I came out at around 8am and was called over by the fisherman.

“At that point I realised that the swan was dead.

"It’s such a shame – the swans only came here last year and to see one of them shot just for kicks, especially a baby one, it’s heart breaking.

“It just makes you wonder what’s going through their minds.”

Police were called to the area the night before after residents reported the youths in the area shooting the gun.

A resident who did not want to be named said: “We could hear the sound of an air gun outside so I looked out the window to see what was going on.

“Then all of a sudden I heard the pellets bouncing of the wall of my house so they must have seen the light on and the curtains moving.

“I went outside and followed them for about 20 minutes but they’d all gone by the time the police got here.

“I didn’t realise the swan was dead until the next morning.”

Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News:

Westover Ward Cllr Brian Smedley called for CCTV to be installed in the area to prevent further instances of anti-social and criminal activity.

He said: “The incident is a disgrace and has caused anxiety and anger amongst residents who have complained about high levels of anti-social behaviour in the area for some time. There is an urgent need for a CCTV presence in the area and a concerted and joint response by police and the local authorities to match the level of care and responsibility that the neighbours have taken over the years in making Brownes Pond one of the town’s beauty spots.”

A police spokesperson said: “We were called at 9.50pm to a report of four teenage boys firing what appeared to be air gun pellets at a house. Around the same time a dead swan was found by a nearby pond but without any obvious injuries.

“If anyone has any information about the incident please could they call Bridgwater Police on 101 and quote log 1048 of May 12, or if they know who any of the boys involved might be.

“One was described as wearing a hi-vis jacket, two in white tops and one in red, and all about 14 or 15-years-old.”