A HEARTBROKEN family is offering a reward after the theft of its pet ducks.

Four feathered friends, including a small calling duck, were stolen and a further four were left injured and traumatised after the incident at Silverdale Allotments in Guiseley.

Now their owner, Jackie Field, is appealing for the public to come forward with any information about the raid, and is offering a reward if it leads to a conviction.

She said her family have been deeply upset by the theft on June 13, particularly her great nieces.

"They also left four ducks injured and all the ducks were left distressed from their ordeal," Jackie added.

"The remaining calling duck is extremely distressed and pining for his mate. Not only this, but two small girls are left heartbroken at the loss of family pets.

"I would dearly love the person who did this to approach me and explain why. I doubt very much they have either the decency or the guts to do that. This is akin to someone trespassing into someone's garden and stealing a pet rabbit from a cage. Completely wrong and unacceptable.

"This matter has been reported to the police, and I am asking anyone who either saw or knows of any information to come forward. They can approach any one of us at the allotment.

"I am offering a reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the culprit."

Jackie, who has a total of eight great nieces and nephews, said the ducks meant a lot to the whole family, and their loss had particularly affected eight-year-old Mia.

"She is remarkably upset by it," she said. "She is such a little animal lover and she is so upset it is unbelievable."

She said all the children had loved playing with the ducks on the allotment, and the birds had also been popular with local people and passers-by.

"We keep them as pets," she added. "They are not there for laying specifically – they are just there because we love them."

Jackie, who has been keeping ducks for more than a decade, had initially thought the missing and injured birds had been attacked by a fox, but she had later been told a witness had seen a man rounding them up.

She said: "We have 15 ducks and, normally, when you call them, they come down in a row because they want their tea. But this time there were only a few of them there. We went to look round and I found a little male calling duck on his own. He was traumatised. He was very quiet and kept shutting his little eyes and couldn't use his legs properly.

"This has really distressed and upset us, and it has upset our friends on the Avenue. They can't believe what has happened."