I SAW with interest a picture in the Telegraph of an angler who had caught a large pike in the Boating Lake.

I have been walking around this lake for the past five years looking at the new arrival of cygnets, ducklings and baby coots.

Over the past two years the swans have not managed to rear any cygnets, although they have produced young, this year starting with seven.

Well, now the mystery is solved. What bright spark decided to introduce pike into such a small lake?

The swans on the Freshney have young, as do the ones in Country Park, and there are enough predators above the water without putting them below as well.

Walk around the Boating Lake and see how many young ducklings you can find. I think you will be hard pressed to find any. Something that has given people such joy has been taken away.

Mrs Joan Wood, Garbutt Place, Cleethorpes.

Councillor Leanor Pidgen, portfolio holder for culture, leisure and tourism at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: "When we upgraded the Boating Lake area in 2005, two mute swans moved in to nest. However, strangely none of their cygnets reached maturity.

"We have had pike in the lake for many years, although the council didn't introduce the species. Fish can be introduced into lakes from birds transporting the fish from lake to lake in egg form, or from members of the public introducing them.

"We do have a small number of ducks on the Boating Lake, which is down to the amount of greylag geese in the area. They have become a dominant species and force other species out.

"We can't put the loss of all the cygnets at the Boating Lake down to pike. We have had mallard, coot, hen and goose chicks and most do well. Pike will take chicks but not when they reach a certain size. When the last cygnet disappeared it was too large for pike to take.

"We're monitoring the situation and keen to see future cygnets mature."

The Telegraph says

It's lovely to see all the young wildlife born and living in this setting, but shouldn't they be left to live alongside each other as they do in the wild?