A DUCK was knocked unconscious in Dorchester by rock-throwing yobs before being rescued by a kind-hearted passer-by who jumped into the river to save it - and has now been nurtured back to full health.

Tony Strawbridge and his partner Emma were walking their dogs in Dorchester when they noticed children throwing objects at the ducks along the River Frome.

He saw that one duck had been hit in the back of the head and was unconscious, floating down the river.

He said: "We saw a couple of kids hanging around by the bridges at the end of Mill Street. We didn't realise at the time what they were doing, but they were throwing stuff at the ducks.

"Then we saw one of the ducks floating down the river barely able to move. It couldn't swim or keep it's head above the water.

"I got in the river and fished it out and we took it home to look after it for a few weeks. It would have drowned because it couldn't get itself the correct way up."

After a few weeks looking after 'Doris' - as Tony and Emma had named the duck - at home, Tony decided to call Weymouth-based wildlife rescuer Derek Davey, who specialises in looking after birds that have been injured and nursing them back to health.

He said: "The duck couldn't stand up, I think it could have been a bit concussed and it wasn't really moving.

"I told Tony it may not make it because I couldn't release it back into the wild unless it had recovered properly."

But 'Doris' slowly started getting back to her old self, eating more, standing up and even going for a paddle in Derek's pond.

"I honestly didn't think it would make it," said Derek, "It was in such a bad condition I thought it would have to be put down so I was surprised but happy that it made a good recovery."

Tony and Emma met with Derek to release Doris back into the river.

"She still has a dent in the back of her head where the stone hit her," Tony said, "But we go and visit her most days and she seems to know the sound of my voice as she always comes over when we walk past."