THE bodies of another eight swans have been discovered this week, after a spate of horrific shootings.

A whole family of the birds living on the River Avon in Salisbury has been slaughtered and, in a separate attack, five male swans were killed and dumped on Salisbury Plain.

As the Journal reported last week, a mother and her cygnet born this spring were found dead in the river at the rear of the shops on Southampton Road last Monday afternoon.

Sadly, the father and two other cygnets were also cruelly destroyed and their bodies were found later in the week, further down the river.

They had all been shot with a .22 air rifle.

A sickened Phil Groombridge, of Wildlife Rescue, said: "They have all gone now - they killed the whole family."

On Friday morning, another five dead swans were discovered at Linden Copse in Everleigh Ashes, near the Everleigh-Pewsey road on Salisbury Plain.

A ring on one of the birds showed it came from the River Avon north of Durrington.

Wildlife experts believe the swans were killed on this stretch of the river before being taken to the woods and dumped.

They say that, of the nine swans who lived in the area earlier this year, only two are still there.

PC Gary Mogford, of the Ministry of Defence police, said: "To have wildlife shot on the plain is very unusual and this is certainly the first time we have had swans killed like this.

"All the birds had been shot in the head or neck. It appeared they had been killed with a shotgun, because there were pellets caught in their feathers.

"It seems to be nothing but a cruel act of vandalism."

MoD police say the birds must have been killed and taken to the beauty spot on Thursday night and are asking any witnesses to call 01980 603099.

Salisbury police are still keen to hear from anyone with information about a group of six youths seen hiding in the bushes in Churchill Gardens and shooting into the river last Monday afternoon.One is described as dark-skinned, four were white and one was Asian.

If you can help police with their inquiries, call 01722 411444, or Crimestoppers, on 0800 555111.

After reading about the slaughter, wildlife enthusiast Dave Duggan is offering a £1,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the killers. See his advertisement on page 4 of the Journal.