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This isn't in the news, but it is news in Manningtree in the East Anglian of the UK and I heard about it from a relative who lives there.

In Manningtree they have a sea where the boats used to come in with supplies etc however now-a-days it is more known to have many wild swans there and tourists come from all over to see them and feed them etc.
Lately however they have had many problems thrown their way.

Firstly the town has no idea what to do about the fact that when some of the boats come in the swans are constantly getting trapped and literally crushed to death between walls and boats. My grandad saw this happen and at 79 he knew it was too late to save the swan and it was having a tortourous death, finding someone he knew had a shotgun, he told them to shoot it right out.

The worst problem facing the swans however is the youths. Manningtree has always been known as a small quiet village but it is slowely getting more council estates and crime is getting worse.

Not too long ago it was heard (and seen by many people too scared to say anything to the police) that a baby swan had been chased by a large group into vegetation so high it couldnt escape. They then beat the swan with various "weapons" and left it to die, luckerily someone was at hand to ring the local rescue and it was "saved", by having its broken and bloody wing amputated - it will never be allowed back into the wild again.

As shocking as that was, another story like this came about a few days later. A smaller group of youths had been able to get hold a swon, grab its neck and keep it underwater until it had drowned.

I really feel so sick when I hear about things like this. I can't even begin to imagine what is going through their heads when they do things like this. If they can do something so tortuous to something so innocent then imagine what they could do to someone that says something to trigger it...its a scary thought. Makes me sick to the stomach.

I was talking to my friend about this and he said that in his area there is a boating lake and he was there with his mates and he saw a bunch of the local thugs were chasing ducks - he found it amusing thats all they could do with their time - until he heard the screeching of a duck and saw a duck with a screwdriver in its back drowning. It makes me wonder what is happened to society....its so worrying.