Rob I was glancing through a newspaper can't remember if it was today or yesterday and there was a case of a guy who decapitated a mute swan and was apparently chased and caught by anglers, but when the case went to court he was fined £110, a fine like that especially paid on the drip is nothing, sorry i can't remember where it was either.
It is an absolute diabolical act whoever let their dogs attack and kill the Mute Swan Cygnets in Heywood, if indeed they ' let them' as such, or did they escape...probably not ! The point I wanted to raise is this, and it may be worth noting should any forum member reading this (or non-members too) witness anyone actively trying to endanger a Mute Swan's life.
The Queen officially and so I believe, personally, makes it her duty to protect Mute Swans on the River Thames, simply because by default...she owns them! She even appoints a Swan Keeper who's position is highly regarded. The keeper even distributes Mute Swans all over the world today, and they are classed as gifts on behalf of The Queen. But here's the bigger picture that probably not everyone knows, certainly not the mindless thugs that carried out this atrocity...
...The Queen actually has a governing power, sometimes referred to as Her Prerogative, over ALL Mute Swans in England and Wales, not just The Thames Swans! And by that reckoning, I would think (although not 100% sure) that she would be able to serve a punishment to anyone harming her Mute Swans, or at least you would think so! Cheers Rob
