THE issue with ducks is not the sole problem of Ely. In Soham, there is a major problem of bastardised mallard ducks polluting the area and the fresh breeding of pure mallard ducks. Everywhere we see the results of people having released white domestic du

THE issue with ducks is not the sole problem of Ely. In Soham, there is a major problem of bastardised mallard ducks polluting the area and the fresh breeding of pure mallard ducks. Everywhere we see the results of people having released white domestic ducks into the wild, these have bred with mallard ducks and the results over the years has been a duck with white on its neck, chest back or as a motley black and white hotchpotch all over.

The breed is mainly black and white now and the RSRCA has spoken with me that on the East common the duck problem is so bad that the local environment agency will not support them and they come into the housing estates and look for food, mostly supplied by well-meaning people but they do not realise what they are doing.

This has caused a massive burst of breeding on the estates of four broods a year, much against nature which has one brood per year. People need to stop feeding the ducks.

MIKE LENA-JOHNSON.