'Lock-y escape' for swan rescued by firefighters from Leicester canal

A member of the public spotted to swan and reported it to the RSPCA

A swan has been rescued after getting trapped in a canal lock in Leicestershire.

The distressed bird got stuck on the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal on 9 November at about 16:00 GMT.

Firefighters were called to the Freemens Meadow Lock and moved the swan to safety using an inflatable raft.

The bird had become trapped between the lock gate and a stone wall and would have been crushed if the gates had been opened, the RSPCA said.

Animal rescue officer Jack Curran said the bird was taken to a wildlife centre for rehabilitation after being retrieved.

He said: "The swan was in quite a predicament and we needed to rescue it before the gates were opened.

"The fact that it was waterlogged meant it couldn't move around well, let alone fly away.

"The swan was exhausted and, as well as being waterlogged, was missing feathers on its head and neck. It definitely had a lock-y escape!"

Once the swan has fully recovered it will be released back to the wild.

A Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service crew were called by the RSCPA