A COUPLE of dozy ducklings had a "grate" escape after ruffling a few feathers during an early morning escapade.

The lucky ducks had to be scooped out of a roadside drain by firemen using a borrowed soup ladle after a dawn stroll with their mother almost ended in tragedy.

The ducklings were waddling across Halifax Road, Brierfield, at 5.30am yesterday when they slipped between the bars of a metal grate in the gutter. Luckily their predicament was spotted by Mary Kabrna, of Park Drive, Brierfield, and her son Peter who raised the alarm with the RSPCA and the fire brigade.

Firefighters from Nelson "flew" to the rescue and borrowed a soup ladle from nearby Salters Bakery to whisk the duckling from the drain which fortunately was dry. "It all ended well but it's a shame they had to be parted from their mother," said Mary.

"There was a line of about four of them following their mother across the road. We were driving past when we spotted one of them disappear down the grate. The mother just stood there and looked very concerned but then she went off with the rest of her brood."

The dozy duo were taken back to the fire station until officers from the RSPCA arrived to care for them. It was hoped they might be able to be re-united with their mother if she can be found.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.