Nine trapped ducklings....

Maggie Whaites, Winterhay, Ilminster, spotted a duck sitting at the side of the road at 6am in Thickthorn Lane, as she went to work, and became concerned when the mallard was still there when she passed three hours later.

She said: "I thought is she injured? So I went back to see but she was not injured.

"She was very close to a drain cover and I thought if she has any ducklings they could fall in there.

"I could hear a lot of chirping besides the duck quacking at me."

Maggie then saw the nine trapped ducklings at the bottom of the five foot drain, and called two friends, Joe Laver and Rusty Crabb, to help in an impressive rescue mission involving a butterfly net and two pieces of wood. .

She added: "By lying flat on the road, I was able to reach each duckling and lift them to safety.

"We then put them all in a bucket and put them in a hedge so they could go find their mum who was close by.

"After a while they settled down back into the wild - three relieved rescuers and nine live ducklings."

"We were dumbfounded to see them in the drain and it was wonderful to see them all unharmed."