A SWAN was rescued after making its way from the canal to a nearby railway maintenance depot in Worcester.

The young swan is believed to have grown up on the canal and traveled to a yard at the depot off Tolladine Road on Friday, November 24.

Two maintenance workers discovered the swan, prompting Wychbold Swan Rescue and The Swan Food Project to come to the rescue.

Marilyn McCarthy, from The Swan Food Project, said: "We are really grateful for the maintenance workers for letting us know where we could find the swan.

"Staff ushered him to a safe space to take off but he only made it to the top of a tunnel and was soon back down among the tracks.

"The maintenance workers helped us to bag him for his trip to the river and he was greeted by a host of cygnets when he arrived."

Mrs McCarthy said there are two main reasons why younger swans leave their waterways.

She said: "Young swans can either choose to leave the waterway they grew up on, or they can sometimes be driven away by the parents who want the space for themselves again.

"After this, it is not uncommon to find the young swans in a variety of random locations as they are not the strongest flyers."

Mrs McCarthy said that knowing what to do when you find a swan that may be in need of help is incredibly important.

She said: "A lot of the public may think that leading a swan back to a nearby waterway is the best thing to do, but they may have been driven away from that waterway in the first place.

"Also, swans cannot just be taken to a rescue facility like Wychbold Swan Rescue without them being contacted first as things like again flu need to be considered."

The Swan Food Project provides affordable food and information in Worcester outlets and shares the needs of swans in the area.

The organisation is in need of new volunteers for rescues and also for feeding swans in the area.

Mrs McCarthy said: " Anyone who is interested needs to be s suitable candidate, with their own car, and would also need to be prepared to have the swans in their cars as well.

"They will need to learn and be part of a team, and also be prepared to drop whatever they are doing on occasion if a rescue is needed."

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, you can email theswanfoodproject@gmail.com or visit the website at theswanfoodproect.co.uk.