DISTRAUGHT cancer patients watched in tears as ducklings were evicted from Halton Hospital this week.

Staff say they have been threatened with disciplinary action if they continue feeding ducks rearing chicks in courtyards, because hospital chiefs fear they pose a health risk.

"All of us are upset," said a woman, undergoing chemotherapy. "It's a great pleasure to us to watch these baby ducks. It takes your mind off yourself."

Another patient, added: "We've had a duck fund for the corn.

"The girls come in before work and hose it down and do it again before they go home. It's spotlessly clean."

Patients said the ducklings

"appeared to be in distress" as men, believed to be from a bird sanctuary, tried to catch them last Friday.

After consulting with the RSPB, staff were advised to stop feeding the ducks.

Hospital chief fear cleanliness and infection control could become a problem, if other wild birds were attracted by the food.

Mike Atkinson, the trust's hotel services manager, said: "We will continue to monitor the courtyards. Although putting nets in place to prevent the ducks from gaining access would be too expensive to implement."

Runcorn RSPCA inspector Nadine Pengally, said it is illegal to move any bird once they've laid eggs.

She said: "It's an offence to touch eggs or move a nest.

Netting, she says, is the only way to stop the ducks, who have been raising their chicks in the courtyards since 2003.

"The only problem is that the ducks will fly into the netting and get stuck. The parents will keep coming back."