East Yorkshire petting farm owner 'heartbroken' as six ducklings stolen in burglary

The owner of a local petting farm has been left devastated after six ducklings were stolen during an early morning burglary.

Suzie Wright, 41, who runs Little Haven Farm, was shocked to find that the young birds, aged just three to four weeks, had been taken from their outdoor pen at around 2am on Sunday (June 9).

The thieves gained entry by breaking through a side gate at the property in Hedon and made off with the golden-coloured Cherry Valley ducks before being disturbed by the family's pet Labrador, Penny.

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Police are now calling for witnesses to come forward with any information regarding the theft.

A distraught Suzie, who had rescued the ducklings, expressed her hope that the culprits had not intended anything "sinister" and would safely return the birds.

She said: "It's heartbreaking, and it's worrying for us about the safety of the animals that we still have. You don't want someone to come onto your property without permission, you don't want them to come and help themselves to your animals.

"Then you've got the worry of what's going to happen to those animals now they are gone and why they have been taken. We're hoping that someone has taken them selfishly because they want some ducks of their own to have at their house - and not for more sinister reasons."

Suzie, whose petting farm is home to a variety of rescue animals including reindeer, goats, and rabbits, noted that the duck thieves managed to evade the farm's CCTV cameras.

The mum-of-three believes the thieves must have known where the birds were being kept, as they had been relocated just a few days prior. She explained: "We'd only just moved them to their outdoor enclosure with some water to get them accustomed to being in a pond."

She continued: "So whoever has stolen them must have known where they were at that point and planned to come and take them the way they did."

The culprits broke in through the side gate entrance and opened up the pens.

"We have absolutely no idea who they are. Our dog disturbed them, we believe. She scared them off. But they had managed to take the ducklings," Suzie added.

She also mentioned that there had been significant interest in the ducklings, with people even able to stroke them. Suzie stated that the farm is now on 'high alert' in case the burglars attempt to steal more animals.

She expressed her concern saying: "It's an invasion of privacy, so it's disconcerting across the board. Now we're on high alert making sure nobody comes back to try and take anything else."

A spokesperson from Humberside Police confirmed that investigations into the incident are ongoing. They said: "Enquiries are underway after six ducklings were reportedly stolen in a burglary at a farm on Havenside in Hedon.

"The burglary took place at around 2am on Sunday 9 June when someone allegedly broke into the farm and took the ducklings from inside the grounds.

"Anyone with any information about the burglary or the whereabouts of the ducklings is asked to call our non-emergency 101 line quoting crime reference 24*80063."