DEAD pheasants and Canada Geese have been dumped on a woodland footpath in Winsford.

A shocked walker came across bags of game birds on Monday on The Weaver Parkway.

"I was out for a walk when I saw a bag of dead pheasants," said the woman, who does not wish to be named.

"They were on a dirt track where a lot of people walk their dogs. I don't understand how anyone could do something like this."

It is the second time she has found dead birds on the path which leads from Winsford to Moulton.

She came across a bag with six dead pheasants on January 28.

"This week around 15 dead pheasants and Canada Geese had been dumped in the same spot," she said.

"I have lived here all my life and never seen anything like this. It is a sad scenario and needs the public's attention."

She contacted Cheshire West and Cheshire Council and was told the incident would be dealt with as fly tipping.

"Because of the location there are no CCTV cameras and no street lighting," she added. "I want the public to be made aware of what is happening."

The Weaver Parkway is an extensive area of open green space alongside the River Weaver on the outskirts of Winsford. It was created on former industrial land of brine workings and salt mining as a unique habitat for unusual wildlife.

It is not the first time shot gamebirds have been dumped as waste in the countryside.

Numerous cases have been reported across the country.

A spokesman for Cheshire West and Chester Council said: "We can confirm that our StreetCare team received a complaint about dead birds in bin bags in the Weaver Parkway area.

"Upon investigation, we located these bags and regret that we can confirm that the bags contained over a dozen birds, mostly pheasants and geese.

"We have referred the matter to Cheshire Constabulary to investigate if the birds were killed illegally. However,  we will be increasing fly tipping enforcement patrols  in the area.

"Where residents encounter similar incidents we ask that they report it to our StreetCare team with as much information as possible at cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/residents/contact-us/report-it/fly-tipping.aspx.

"We advise residents not to handle waste whenever they come across an incident of fly tipping."