SAD news came from Maldon’s Promenade Park as a well-known swan and one of her chicks was found dead.

The female swan (pen) was a resident of the Marine Lake, and had been raising two chicks along with her male partner.

She and one of her chicks were found at 4am on Tuesday June 21 by volunteers who had been monitoring and feeding the family.

The cause of death is likely to have been from a fox or vixen attack.

A notice was put up by the lake from Maldon District Council detailing the incident, under which a vigil has been laid with flowers to commemorate the swan’s death.

The council said: “Following a discussion and advice from the local Swan Rescue Charity, the male (cob) remains on the lake with a single cygnet and it is fully expected that he will raise this remaining cygnet through adulthood without any need for human intervention.

“Whilst the circumstances are sad, we would like to remind visitors that all birds on the Marine Lake are truly wild and not domesticated.

“As such, there is little that can be done to influence their behaviour, nesting sites and interactions with other birds and animals in the park.”

Residents paid tribute to the swan with a garland of roses left by the notice. She had become very popular with visitors to the lake.

Claire Koehl-Ritson, of Shakespeare Drive, said: “How sad it is to read that the swan and one of her babies were killed, I had seen the male and one baby and wondered where the other had gone, and I didn’t realise it was the father looking after the remaining one.

“We loved the swan, she had been through such a tough time over the years and I will dearly miss seeing her, as I know many others will too.”