'It's a sad day' - Conspiracy theorists try to pour cold water on town's beloved traditional duck race

Last weekend, as part of Bridgnorth Carnival, the town's Lions group held their annual duck race.

The event raises hundreds each year as competitors buy a rubber duck and race them down the River Severn.

But this year's event has been mired by anonymous conspiracy theorists who claimed the rubber ducks were a pollution hazard to the river.

Richard Stilwell from the Bridgnorth Lions said the group had fully investigated the claims.

He said: “It's a sad day. The Bridgnorth Lions have conducted extensive enquiries and searches into an allegation that plastic ducks had been polluting the river after our duck race.

“To the best of our knowledge no ducks escaped and according to our extensive searches no ducks were found.

“It appears that these allegations were made by someone with a fake profile whose only interest appears to have been to cause discontent with the great charitable work that the Lions do.

“It generated unwarranted and unnecessary debate when the Lions try very hard to not only raise monies for good causes but do try very hard (yes, we can all be a bit better) to protect our very fragile environment.

“We thank everybody for their support and whoever did this should be ashamed at what they tried to do. We can only guess what possessed them to do it.”

Each year the Bridgnorth Lions raises hundreds of thousands either indirectly or directly through their charity work, which includes the Bridgnorth Walk.