ONE Trowbridge PCSO has been praised by her fellow officers for making a quacking discovery on her way into work this morning by saving five ducklings who had fallen down a drain outside the station.

PCSO Nina Marsh was entering the station in Polebarn Road just before 7am this morning when she spotted a mother duck acting out of character.

“As I drove in, I saw the mother duck by the side of the road and we have two ducks that are here most days and it is unusual not to see them.

“Then I noticed ducklings around her and she was looking back and forth as if she was looking for something and at first I didn’t know what to do. I noticed the drain and that is when I thought oh no, there is something down there. I got out of my car and went over and she hissed a bit but then I saw about five ducklings had fallen down the drain but they were in water and not injured.

“There were other ducklings with the mum and they all stepped back when she realised I wasn’t there to hurt them but instead wanted to help.”

The 53-year-old, who has been based at Trowbridge for the last three years, said mother’s instinct kicked in and so she rushed to the drain which was one that she could lift to open.

“I think she must have nested somewhere nearby because the ducklings were quite small and must have only been about a week or so old,” she added.

“One of the things that amazed me was that she instinctively know when all of them had been taken out of the drain which I could do in just one hand because they were that small.

“They were on the road as well as you come into the station and at that sort of time, I was worried someone would drive past and not see them.”

“It was the fact she looked lost that worried me and she wouldn’t have moved on until she had all her ducklings.

“It definitely made my morning.”

The mother duck and her ducklings left the station shortly after the rescue.