A pair of mating swans have been shot dead by a "sick" killer with an air rifle in a Mitcham park.

The birds were found bleeding and riddled with pellets by a member of the public in the Ravensbury Park stretch of the River Wandle yesterday morning.

One of the swans - a pregnant female - was still alive when rescuers reached the park, but died shortly after being taken to the Shepperton Swan Sanctuary.

The slaughtered animals had been shot in the neck, body, and head.

Shepperton Swan Sanctuary has offered a £500 reward for anyone with information that leads to a conviction of the culprit, with one rescuer warning that "they will be shooting people next".

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Steve Knight, a trustee at the sanctuary, said whoever had gunned down the swans were "perverts".

He added: "[When] those chaps were going down there with an air rifle, the swans would have been coming over to be fed.

"What is the purpose? They're just a thick part of society, and the rest of society has to put up with them.

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"They will be shooting people next."

The Metropolitan Police have been told about the killings, although the force were unable to provide further information when contacted this afternoon.

Rescuers had hoped they might be able to save the pregnant swan, but she died from a haemorrhage "within minutes" of arriving at the sanctuary, Mr Knight said.

An x-ray carried out on one the slain birds appear to show a number of metal pellets lodged in its neck and head. 

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Mr Knight said they had been called to Ravensbury Park at about 10am, although the head of the area's residents association believed the swans may have been found closer to 7am.

Lesley Sorrell chair of the Friends of Ravensbury Park, first heard about the killings after receiving a phone call from one of her members.

She appealed for anyone with information about the killings to come forward, adding: "It's just worrying that someone is out there thinking that they can shoot what they like - because it's going to be a child next time. People who do this are sick.

"It could be absolutely anyone - but somebody is going to know."

It is not the first time a swan has been gunned down at the park - Ms Sorrell said she remembered a similar incident from about eight years ago, where one swan was killed.

Her group now plans to lobby Siobhan McDonagh, MP for Mitcham and Morden, to try and force a ban on the sale of air rifles.

Ms Sorrell said: "Anyone can buy them. It's outrageous, but they haven't changed the law fast enough."

Merton Council have also been contacted about the killings.

Anyone with information is asked to call Lesley Sorrell on 07734 507 066