Pet duck abandoned in a nappy and squashed into a bag

A 'plump' duck abandoned by his owner on a train has been rescued by bird sanctuary heroes who said he can stay with them forever.  

The duck, named Jack by a rescuer, was found by a passenger on Friday evening at Herne Hill railway station wearing 'a nappy and squashed into a bag'.

Southeastern railway alerted travellers to the incident on Twitter and urged the owner to 'please make yourself known' to station staff.

The duck's saviour, Ann Aitken-Davies from London Wildlife Protection, said she named him Jack after the baby found in a handbag on a train station in The Importance of Being Earnest.

'Jack was in a nappy and squashed into a bag,' she said. 

'He is plump and in very good condition.

'I have no idea why he was dumped but his owner knew he would be found if left on a train.'

Jack remains with a Swan Sanctuary volunteer and will be given a permanent home there after a period of quarantine.

Southeastern tweeted that Jack is believed to be a pet and thanked Twitter users for 'all for your concerns for its welfare (and, of course, your quacking puns!)'.