A WEYMOUTH school hatched a plan to move 18 fluffy ducklings to a safe new home.

The little birds came out of their shells at the Wey Valley School and Sports College where a group of seagulls were eagerly waiting.

Year Seven pupils helped caretaker Geoff Bright to guide the ducklings and their mother to safety and their new home, on the River Wey.

Mr Bright said: “Every year, the ducks seem to land and nest in our hedges because they are a natural habitat with a lot of protection there.

“But the problem is that seagulls, that are also nesting, have figured this out and they see the ducklings as prey.

“They swoop down and try to take them.

“This isn’t very nice and it can be quite distressing for the children when they see it.

“So we get the pupils to help move the ducklings to the river.”

The rescue mission is a regular task at the school, where they can move around six lots of ducklings a year.