Swan and cygnets bring Bank Holiday traffic to a standstill!

Traffic on the A4146 ground to a halt for about eight minutes on Bank Holiday Monday lunchtime when a swan and her cygnets became somewhat confused and decided to cross the road rather than use the canal below.

To get them to safety one motorist stopped his car and helped shepherd them off the road, onto the verge and back towards the canal.

Driver Mike Evans, who witnessed events unfold – between Grovebury Road and Ledburn/Grove Lock roundabouts –said: “I saw in my mirrors the guy with red polo shirt trotting down the slope from his vehicle a few back, so thought best to stay put while he was doing his best to round them up.

“Anyway, mum was very protective, tried to keep between cygnets and him, the cygnets then headed back to my side of road, where one staged its sit-down protest, but he managed to get them moving again.

“A second bloke also came down to help but red-shirt man was the prime mover.

“As one cygnet wasn’t being as co-operative, he picked it up, supporting its body weight with right arm and also its head/neck in his left hand to return it to the verge and rest of family .

“He appeared to know what he was doing.

“Coincidentally, only last Friday, I visited the Swannery at Abbotsbury in West Dorset, so I’m quite impressed with how he dealt with it all .”