Priory Park, Orpington has long had beautiful swans as residents with families of cygnets, as well as other breeding birds such as moorhens and geese.  Recently the swans and their babies have been the victims of great cruelty and torment. Many cygnets have been injured or killed, eggs have been destroyed or removed.  This destruction of local wildlife is upsetting to many in the Orpington area and the wider community who cannot understand why this is happening to defenceless creatures who simply want to raise their young in peace. It is also impossible to understand why individuals in our community seek to deprive everyone from connecting with nature. If this thoughtless cruelty continues we will simply lose our swans and their babies forever and if that happens an aspect of nature that we can all love and admire will be sadly gone.  They must be protected. They deserve to be protected.