A swan has been found dead at a lake used by a private fishing club in Brighouse.

Brighouse Angling Association’s senior bailiff, Edward Burke, said it was likely a fox had taken the swan from the side of Brookfoot Lake.

It is thought the bird is one of a pair of swans pictured on Tuesday’s ITV Calendar weather forecast broadcast at lunchtime.

Mr Burke, who has been senior bailiff for over five years, said: “I don’t think it will have been a dog. There’s a skulk of foxes down here which have had cubs and, of course, they are predators. Swans are powerful birds but we all know what foxes are capable of.

The dead swan at Brookfoot Lake, Brighouse

“Originally there were five swans but I think we will be down to three now as another dead one was found earlier in the year, sometime in March I think.

“We have asked the RSPB for the swans to be moved as they mate for life and so it’s a shame for one of them to be on its own.”

The club has recently completed a major change to the topography of the lake bed by introducing three islands to the water in order to reduce the depth of the lake.

As well as swans there are kingfishers, coots, moorhens and mallards.