A £100 reward has been offered for information about the shooting of a goose known as 'The Colonel'.

The bird, who lives on the village pond at Hanley Swan, was lucky to survive after being hit in the head by an air gun pellet last week.

The Colonel is now back on the pond with his mate after being taken to the Vale Wildlife Rescue Centre by RSPCA inspectors to have the pellet removed.

Clive Smith, who lives in the village, is glad to see him back and has offered the reward.

"I just can't tolerate animal cruelty of any kind," said Mr Smith.

He said The Colonel, a gander, was well-known in the village.

He arrived around Christmas three or four years ago and the story goes that a man won him in a raffle and wanted the local butcher's shop to wring his neck.

"When they couldn't help he just let the goose go free, leaving him on the village pond," said Mr Smith.

The Colonel has lived on the pond ever since and villagers have grown so fond of him that two years ago he was given a mate.

"He survived becoming someone's Christmas dinner and now he's survived being shot. He's like a cat with nine lives," said Mr Smith.

The Colonel acquired his nickname because of his somewhat dominant personality. "He's definitely the boss on the pond, the one in charge," said Mr Smith.

Mr Smith said he visited the pond regularly and The Colonel's mate had pined for him while he was away

He said he hoped the reward would lead to information about the shooting and a successful conviction.