The gang fired at the birds from a Volvo car, near Basingstoke in Hampshire.

A passer-by called police to Church Street in Upton Grey, but the car sped off.

A vet treated the injured duck for a pellet-wound to the neck at the Animal Barn Hospital in Basingstoke.

'Cowardly and despicable'

The bird is now being cared for by a local couple.

The RSPCA described the attack as "cowardly and despicable" and urged people to contact them with any information they have as to who is responsible.

The shooting follows dozens of recent airgun attacks on cats in Basingstoke, in which at least five have been killed.

Jonathan Shaw, MP for nearby Chatham and Aylesford, this month called for airguns to be banned for younger teenagers.

The Kent MP presented a bill to the Commons outlawing unsupervised use of the weapons for under-17s.

The RSPCA, which is backing the proposed new law, investigated 800 reports of airgun attacks on animals between January and September this year.