Village in mourning after 'favourite' goose killed in broad daylight

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A goose has been shot dead with an air-rifle in a “spineless” daytime drive-by shooting in a small Hertfordshire village.

The residents of Sandon have been left outraged after the male goose, which had become the village’s unofficial mascot, was slain in broad daylight on Sunday afternoon.

The bird, which features on the Sandon welcome sign, has become a fixture of the town after it hatched by one of the village’s ponds 11 years ago.

Despite being aggressive and territorial about a postbox during mating season, the goose was a popular feature of village life and was regularly seen helping newborn goslings cross the road and nestling inside his favourite village telephone box.

Floral tributes have been left to the animal - known as “Goose” by the villagers because they were afraid to jinx it by giving it a real name - in the phone box and he has been buried by the pond.

Gay Ayton told the Cambridge News: "It's really shocking. A lot of the villagers are feeling very sad – even though he was cursed as sometimes you couldn't post a letter without a stick.

"It's spineless and so irritating. We've always had a goose. He is very protective of the ducklings [sic].

"The villagers are very sad as well as angry and sickened. The schoolchildren were upset when told by the headmistress."

There have been several village geese before but many of them also met a grisly end by being run over.

Hertfordshire Police have said they are not investigating the incident.