Ducks take to water in hotel pool

The family of seven will soon be making a new home on a lake

It is not every day holidaymakers in Devon get to share their pool with a family of ducks.

But for the past few weeks guests and ducks have been swimming side by side at Barnstaple Hotel in north Devon.

The family of seven, the parents and five ducklings, had taken a liking to the heated and chlorinated water.

But animal welfare and health and safety concerns meant the ducklings were rounded up on Monday to be released at a lake.

Protect wildlife

The hotel's manager Keith Grant said: "I believe they've probably been disturbed by the bridge building going on on the marshland next to the hotel. They've been evicted from there and decided to take root at the swimming pool."

Devon County Council said it had tried to protect wildlife living by the new road and that some ducks remained on the wetland.

"I did wonder why they were in here because there are lots of other rivers around here," said hotel guest Melissa Terry.

"I guess they thought this was a nice place to make their home."