THE owner of a swan rescue centre is calling for a complete ban on fishermen using lead weights, which she says is the cause of an 'alarming' increase in incidents of swans being poisoned.

Jan Harrigan, owner of Wychbold Swan Rescue Centre, said the problem had intensified over the years and got so bad now it was more of a concern to her than avian bird flu.

She has run the centre for more than 33 years and said this month was the worst to date for swans being affected - with 11 being brought in from Bewdley in the first two weeks of the month alone.

The centre has pinpointed the hotspots across Worcestershire as Worcester, Bewdley, Evesham and Stourport-on-Severn.

A proportion of the birds eventually recover after treatment which involves them being given regular antibiotics but Mrs Harrigan said it was putting a strain on resources, with the centre often treating up to 30 birds at one time.

However, she said not enough is being done to tackle the problem and is calling on the Government to impose a total ban on lead weight, which she believes is the root cause.

At present there is only a ban on certain sizes of lead weights which still allows fisherman to use smaller sizes.

Mrs Harrigan said: "It's a dreadful problem at the moment and all it takes to kill an adult swan is one tiny bit of lead that would fit on the end of a biro. It's definitely the worst problem we have with sick swans and we really don't know where to go from here.

"If humans could catch lead poisoning, would the same concern and hype for bird flu, which is not yet here at the moment, be afforded to the problem we actually do have?"

Some of the swans at the centre affected by lead poisoning have to be treated for up to six months before they are well again.

And Mrs Harrigan said the Environment Agency was aware of the problem, but has said it must prove the incidents are as a result of fishing weights.

Environment Agency spokeswoman Holly Smith said it was closed season for anglers at present so they could not attribute the rising lead poisoning numbers to them.

She added: "When the season opens in June though our officers will be out checking on the river banks for rod licences and illegal use of lead weights.

"Obviously the law's the law though and small weights are legal so we have to take it as it is at the moment."