A GRANDFATHER has offered to donate money to charity in return for information leading to the conviction of yobs who shot dead two pet hens.

The hens – Jessie and Penny – are believed to have been shot with an air rifle while roosting in Warwick Square, Darlington, on Tuesday afternoon.

Alan Fish, father of the chickens’ owner Louise Rickard, has offered to give £200 to charity in return for information.

The chickens were shot while Ms Rickard was away visiting family in the south.

Mr Fish said: “The hens never made any noise or caused any nuisance but some piece of scum shot two of them for no reason while the family were on holiday.

“If anyone shops the scum I will donate £200 to a charity of their choice.”

Foster carer Ms Rickard is at a loss as to why someone would do such a thing.

She said: “There’s nobody round here that we don’t get on with, so it’s not any vendettas against us or anything like that.

“It is just bizarre. I am just hoping that whoever did it reads this and will think twice before doing it again.

“We have had chickens before, but not for about a year.

“We got these hens, which had only recently started laying eggs, as a treat for the kids a couple of months ago.

“We had four and they have shot two of them.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.