SPRING has arrived early in Rooksbury Road, Andover with 10 mallard ducklings braving January's frost.

"I was very surprised when I saw them in my parent's garden as they're a few months early," said Kathryn Brackstone.

Usually drakes attract the ducks with their colourful feathers during the winter and the ducks lead the drakes to their breeding ground in spring.

So either a particularly colourful drake has been around or there's another explanation.

For the full story see this week's Andover Advertiser.