These little brothers and sisters are on a wing and a prayer after their mum led them to the centre of a town shopping area, next to a road and a busy pedestrian area today.

The mallard ducklings ruffled a few feathers as concerned workers on their lunch hour kept guard while calling Stevenage Borough Council and the RSPCA to give them and the mother duck, which appeared to be injured, a helping hand.

The RSPCA promised to send one of their officers to the scene next to YMCA Space by the bus station, as soon as they could.