FARM animals were clubbed to death in an horrific attack by vandals.

The owner of the smallholding, Mrs Pamela Hopwood, discovered the horror when she went to feed the livestock on Sunday morning.

"I knew something was wrong when I was walking up the road and the sheds had been turned over, but I did not expect what I saw next," she said.

The first sight that faced the distraught animal-lover at her land off Lowes Road, Bury, was the slaughter of a family of ducks.

A drake had been hit so ferociously with a broom handle it had only half its head left. A duck was lying beside him killed the same way.

Another duck was so traumatised by the death of her mate and sister she is now is slowly dying.

"She hasn't eaten since the attack, so I think I will lose her too," said Mrs Hopwood. During the attack a cockerel was shot in the tail and then bludgeoned to death, and another hen was also slaughtered.

"It made me sick," she said. "I could murder whoever did this. If this is someone's idea of pleasure then I feel sorry for them."

Mrs Hopwood also keeps horses, geese and goats. They survived after an off-duty policeman disturbed the four-strong gang who had overturned the animals' sheds.

"Every time the holding is attacked or poultry has gone missing I always feel like just giving in, but I get so attached to the animals, I carry on," said Mrs Hopwood, of Bamford Close, Jericho.

Her farm has been regularly targeted by vandals since she first started it 15 years ago.

"I just hope that people who see things like this going on report it and don't just ignore it."

Mrs Hopwood has appealed for any information about a number of chickens missing after the attack, especially a two-foot tall russet-coloured cockerel.

A 17-year-old has been arrested in connection with the incident.

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