WORKERS at a Blackburn park are calling on people to be careful with their rubbish after a duck got a drinks can trapped on its beak.

Staff at Corporation Park spotted the duck swimming in some water with its beak in the can on Wednesday.

They tried to release it, but catching the duck proved harder than expected.

Now staff are saying the incident shows the dangers to wildlife from litter and discarded waste in parks and waterways.

Arshid Mahmood, who represents the Corporation Park ward on Blackburn with Darwen Council, believes that people should take more care.

He said: “It is just the actions of the minority who don’t think about the long-term effects on the area and bringing it down.

“It is a very active area with dog walkers and lots of wildlife in the park.

“But people dropping litter in the waterways could have detrimental affects on wildlife.

A Blackburn with Darwen Council spokesman said: “This shows how dangerous dropping litter can be, especially near wildlife.

“This duck came very close to starving to death due to the incident and it is only the quick actions of the Green Spaces team that saved it.

“Littering affects our beautiful parks and makes them less attractive to the majority of law-abiding, respectful people who want to enjoy them.”

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said: “Television programmes such as Blue Planet have highlighted the problems that rubbish can create for the wildlife in our seas, but the same also applies to wildlife closer to home, such as the ducks in our parks.

“It is distressing to see wildlife affected like this as it can mean they are unable to feed properly, which reduces their chance of survival.

“If their legs or wings become entangled too it can mean they are unable to fly properly, so can’t move around to find food and are more vulnerable to predators.

“To help reduce the chances of this happening, we can all do our bit by reducing the amount of rubbish we create in the first place, and disposing of our waste responsibly by recycling and using the litter bins provided.”

If anyone is concerned about any wildlife in their area in distress, the RSPCA can be contacted on 0300 1234999.