ANDOVER residents have reacted with sadness following a shocking ‘hit and run’ in which five Canada geese were struck by a vehicle in the town centre.

Police were flagged down on Charlton Road, behind Andover College, late last Thursday, where four geese were found dead and one seriously injured.

The road backs on to the River Anton which connects with the Anton Lakes nature reserve.

Officers said those responsible had “made off without moving or helping the injured animals”.

It has sparked outrage among residents and also seen calls from a councillor for residents to “treasure our wildlife”.

Councillor Iris Andersen, who represents St Mary’s ward, said that there needed to be better education on wildlife to avoid a repeat of this incident.

“It’s very sad when things like this happen, and I believe we should be making sure that we all appreciate wildlife,” she told The Advertiser.

“We have a duty of care to those animals. I just think nature is such a wonderful thing.”

It comes just days after the RSPCA revealed Hampshire was an animal cruelty hotspot, with almost 2,500 reports of intentional cruelty to animals in the last five years

Also in this week’s paper:

- Tributes to Andover biker killed in crash

- Andover beautician discusses working with Amazon as blog takes off

- Man jailed for threatening to kill ex-partner

- Father rides 800 miles to raise funds in memory of three-year-old daughter

- Dismay as glass bottle banks removed from recycling centre

- Councillor writes to schools after vandalism incidents

- Andover's Mayor discusses what she wants to achieve while she's in office

- Kit Malthouse and Danny Kruger debate the legalisation of assisted dying

- Two pages of YOUR letters

- And much, much more

- Out now! Just 90p

To arrange a home delivery to get The Advertiser sent straight to your door, call 0800 7314 900 or 0845 7078 150 or email deliveries@newsquest.co.uk. The first six weeks delivery charge is free.

To sign up to a digital subscription service to never miss a story and to get access to everything we write online, visit andoveradvertiser.co.uk/subscribe. Subscriptions start from £2 for two months.