Swan dies after dog attack in Tilgate Park

During a meeting of the overview and scrutiny commission on Monday (July 4), members were told the attack happened at around 5.30pm on Monday June 27 on the eastern side of Tilgate Lake.

Chris Mullins, cabinet member for wellbeing, told the meeting that two fishermen saw a man walking two grey mastiffs which attacked the male swan.

He said: “It is believed they were initially on long leads but this is yet to be confirmed.

“The smaller dog started the attack on the swan, closely followed by the larger dog.

“At that point, the man walking the dogs lost control of them and let go of the leads.”

Mr Mullins said a swan rescue team was called, who advised the swan be ‘kept an eye on’.

But on Monday they were called out again as the creature had ‘deteriorated badly’.

Mr Mullins said: “It has now died.”

The swan’s mate and their cygnets are still at the lake.

Mr Mullins said he was waiting to hear if the incident had been reported to police.

He added: “When swans get together they stay together for life.

“Now we have a situation where a swan has been killed – not the first time that this has happened – and we have a female swan with her cygnets alone without her partner.”

A Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) covering certain areas in the park to deter anti-social behaviour relating to dogs off leads is expected to be signed off by full council later this month.