Swan 'unscathed' after smashing into station roof

Swan Support said they were "really lucky to have the fire service supports us on any rescues that we're unable to get"

A swan emerged "completely unscathed" after landing onto a train station roof, a wildlife charity has said.

Swan Support, who rescue and treat swans in the Thames Valley and beyond, said it had been called to Windsor & Eton Riverside Station, where the bird had made "quite the dramatic landing" and smashed the glass roof.

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service went to help retrieve the bird as it was at a height out of reach and they then contacted Swan Support for assistance.

Wendy Hermon, the charity's operations director, said they were training with the fire service to help them learn how to handle swans safely.

Despite breaking the glass roof, Swan Support said the "didn't have any visible injuries"

The swan rescue service, which is based in Bray, has been operating for more than 10 years, with some staff having more than 30 years' experience.

Ms Hermon said: "It was late at night, [so] we decided to keep it overnight just to make sure that it was okay and then we released it into Windsor flock in the morning."

"It was really good because there's no way we would have been able to rescue the swan ourselves because it was so high on the glass roof, " she explained.

"The fire service got up there, got the swan down and they were waiting with it next to the fire engine when we arrived, so it was a good result."

The firefighters told them it had broken the glass but Ms Hermon said the bird "didn't have any visible injuries".

She added there had been "quite a few incidents" in the last month.

"They don't normally fly at night anyway but sometimes they miss where they're going, they run out of steam and they crash," she said.

"A swan cannot fly off like a duck or a goose because ... [it] needs a 75 to 100-foot take off - it can't get off that roof without help.

"We're really lucky to have the fire service that supports us on any rescues that we're unable to get."