YOBS are being blamed for a vicious attack that left a swan dead and another seriously injured.

Swan Rescue and RSPCA officers were called to Tredegar House, Newport, after receiving reports of two severely injured swans on the lake yesterday morning.

Raymond Smith, Tredegar House senior warden, was on the scene when the swans were found.

He said: "When we arrived on the lake the female swan was still in the water. You could see the blood on her chest. The other one was so bad it looked like it had been clubbed to death."

Ellen Kershaw and Peter Martin, of Swan Rescue, managed to recover the male swan and rushed it to a specialist swan rescue centre in Shepperton, near London, for treatment.

Ms Kershaw said: "His head is a terrible mess, he's obviously been repeatedly beaten, probably by sticks or rocks. "He will probably lose his right eye if he survives at all."

RSPCA officers arrived on the scene at about 12.40pm and using a boat, rescued the female swan from the water. But it was too late to help her.

RSPCA rescuer Keith Hogben said: "The female swan had probably been sitting on her eggs when she was attacked, and the male came to protect her.

"She was nearly dead when we got her out of the water, so to relieve her suffering we had to put her to sleep. She had suffered a head trauma." Raymond Smith said gangs of yobs had attacked the swans at Tredegar House before.

He said: "We've had trouble in the past few weeks with kids throwing stones and sticks at the swans. There was a very bad incident on Sunday at about 6pm with about eight or nine youths."

Mr Hogben added: "It's just mindless. They've got no respect for any wildlife.

"We deal with swans on a weekly basis, but I haven't had one like this for about six years. It's just barbaric."

Tredegar Park councillor Trevor Watkins said: "I am absolutely disgusted that someone could do this to the animals."

Anyone with information can call the police, 01633 838111, or the RSPCA on 08705 555999. All calls are confidential.