Mr Asbo the swan 'must move' from River Cam

Mr Asbo and his mate will be moved out of the county if the application is approved

An aggressive swan, whose behaviour earned him the nickname Mr Asbo, could be moved from his Cambridge home.

The swan has reportedly attacked river users on a number of occasions.

The Conservators of the River Cam, who manage the waterway, confirmed they had met the criteria set by Natural England to legally move the bird and his mate.

If approved, the pair will be taken to a site more than 50 miles away and outside the county before the spring nesting season begins.

Dr Philippa Noon, of the conservators, said: "We have on-going concerns for the safety of river users, especially those in small vessels such as kayaks and canoes.

"A suitable receptor site has now been found and we have located a 'competent person' capable of overseeing the move."

Suitable sites need to be more than 50 miles away from the birds' original territory to prevent them finding their way back.

'Best solution'

Steve Austin, whose house backs onto the River Cam close to the swan's territory, said he and other residents would be sad to see Mr Asbo go.

"He's never been any trouble to us and I look after him in my garden when busy rowing races take place," he said.

"If I'm perfectly honest, though, it would be for the best. He has five or six cygnets each year and some of them will be killed by the rowers' oars.

"It's not really anyone's fault but they are just babies and they can be pretty stupid."

The application to move Mr Asbo and his mate must be approved before the pair begin to nest, after which it is illegal to move swans.