A VIRULENT plague has virtually wiped out the population of 30 Muscovy ducks which have thrived for years at Buckfastleigh's Millennium Green.

The ducks – a popular feature of the town for residents and visitors – have been killed off in less than three weeks by the highly infectious disease, Duck Viral Enteritis.

A mother and her five-week-old chicks, together with a small group of females, are the only survivors – but their days could be numbered as the virus can kill within seven hours of infection. All drakes at the park have perished.

The death toll has reached 25.

Rumours have been rife about the cause of the rampant killer, with one whispering campaign suggesting the decorative wildfowl have been deliberately targeted by critics of the mess-making Muscovies.