THEATRE staff waiting for the hatching of a clutch of duck eggs on their premises fear the worst after most of the eggs were found broken, with no sign of expected ducklings. Two female ducks have been sitting patiently on about thirty eggs in a planter on the patio, but only one duck remains on the final six eggs. An otter is blamed for feasting on nearby domestic pond fish. Natalie O’Byrne, The Tavistock Wharf coffee shop manager, said: ‘It’s very sad if they’ve been eaten. We were looking forward to seeing lots of ducklings running around here. A pest control officer said an otter was the most likely culprit, rather than a river rat which would have taken the eggs away.’