Swan chased away by his parents bitten by dog off lead at lake

The swan was bitten under his wings and on the top of his left thigh, leaving him "extremely bruised and sore"

A young swan that had been chased away by his "territorial" parents ended up being bitten by a dog that was off its lead, according to a wildlife group.

Animal rescuers had to swoop in to Hermitage Park Lake, in Leicestershire, to retrieve the male bird on Friday.

The swan, believed to be about eight months old, had been chased away over a period of a few days, fishermen said.

Fearing he would be drowned, he instead decided to stay on the bank, where he was attacked in Whitwick.

With bite injuries under his wings and on the top of his left thigh, he was struggling to stand so Linjoy Wildlife Sanctuary and Rescue, based in Burton-upon-Trent in Staffordshire, took him under its wing for treatment.

Founder Lindsay Newell told the BBC the swan has been given pain relief, antibiotics and wound care.

She said: "He's walking with a bit of a limp, but we expect he will make a full recovery and we will release him into a 'bachelor' group as unpaired swans are not territorial.

"Swans are brutal with getting rid of others in their territory. They will beat them and stand on their backs to try to drown them.

"Unfortunately people don't think their dog will ever bite, but they do. It's instinct to chase."

Rescuers say the dog walker had left the area before the swan was collected.