Help! £275,000 reward for the killer of this ‘Goose’ gander

A staggering £275,000 reward was on offer last night for help in catching the 'vile killers' of a much-loved village gander believed to have been killed by thugs. The bird, known fondly as 'Goose' sadly died on Sunday, amid reports from villagers that he was shot in the head with an air rifle by a man leaning out of a 4x4 vehicle. His death has sparked a national outcry among animal lovers who heard he became part of the community in Sandon, Hertfordshire, where he even features on the village welcome sign. Earlier today two members of the public contacted the BBC's Jeremy Vine Show to offer rewards to catch the culprits - £250,000 from a Peter Hunt in Eastbourne, Sussex, and £25,000 from John Barker in Cambridge. Despite initially stating an investigation would not be launched, police have since confirmed officers are to dig up his body so tests can take place to confirm how the bird died.

A Hertfordshire Police spokesman said: 'At this stage we are unable to confirm how the goose died. We have no evidence to suggest it was shot, although there are rumours about this.
'We will be speaking with local residents to try and establish if there are any witnesses because at the moment we only have third-party reports.
'If the body is examined and it can be confirmed the bird was shot this would of course be investigated (again jointly by police and RSPCA).'

Following the goose's untimely demise at the weekend, villagers flocked to the disused telephone box where he set up home after being orphaned as a gosling, to leave flowers and tributes in his honour. The 400 parishioners who had come to love the bird over more than a decade were sickened to hear reports that he had fallen victim to the cruel attack on Sunday afternoon. RSPCA Inspector Stephen Reeves said: 'I am appalled at this alleged incident. It is a reckless and senseless act to shoot a goose in the head at point blank range.
'I would urge anyone in the local area who may have seen this upsetting incident to come forward and to call the RSPCA's appeal line on 0300 123 8018.
'And I would also like to remind everyone that it is illegal under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) to intentionally kill or injure any wild bird, and you can be prosecuted.'