Injured duck gets special boot in charity's care

A mother duck has been given a special boot as she recovers after a mystery injury.

She was picked up, along with three of her ducklings, by the Swan Lifeline charity from Dedworth Middle School in Windsor, Berkshire, last week.

The quartet are likely to stay at the Eton-based charity for a fortnight to ensure the mother has recovered from her injury, which does not involve broken bones and is likely to be muscular.

A charity spokesperson said the duck and ducklings were probably seeking to reach the River Thames before they were picked up but would likely have been set upon by a predator before they had.