A DUCK nearly made a costly mistake when it mistook an effluent tank at Robertsons Ledbury Preserves for a pond.

Firefighters saved the Ledbury firm from a big repair bill when they pulled the mistaken mallard from the huge tank of chemicals.

Staff became concerned when the female duck started to sink, which could have disabled the company's £750,000 water purification system.

Cleaning chemicals in the 500,000 gallon tank, about the height of a two-storey house,

meant the duck ceased to float, as her feathers lost their water proofing in the whirling liquid.

Fire brigade spokesman Alec Mackie said: "What the boys came up with wasn't really in any training manual, and they did really well.

"The tank had quite a Jacuzzi effect. At first, it appeared she was enjoying it, but basically, she was beginning to sink.

"To catch her in time, the firefighters put a line across the tank, drawing the duck to the side."

Robertson's new purification plant only came on line around 18-months-ago and ensures any discharge into the nearby River Leadon is as pure as tap water, or purer, with all sugars from the jam making process removed.

Of all the tanks the mallard could have picked, she landed on the primary effluent tank, which is around 50ft across, making her rescue all the more difficult to achieve.

The duck, whom firefighters have christened "Daffy", was handed to a waiting RSPCA officer and then taken to the Vale Wildlife Rescue Centre, near Evesham.

Centre manager Caroline Gould said the young duck was given a charcoal solution through a tube, to soak up any chemicals she would have ingested, and her feathers were given two cleans.

Yesterday, she was set to be released at a sanctuary in Essex.

Robertsons have now put mesh over the tank, to prevent any other ducks landing there.