A MIDDLEWICH resident has praised the town’s dedicated swan support group after a cygnet was calmed and rescued having been left stranded in an estate.

CW10 Swan Support Group were called to Pennymoor Drive last Tuesday after a cygnet was spotted in a playground and refused to budge.

Resident Glen Ramsey told the Guardian that it was “amazing” to watch members of the group transform the bird from aggressive and frightened to completely calm.

He said: “After calling the police, RSPCA and RSPB without any help, the local CW10 Swan Support Group arrived and saved the swan with expert compassion and bravery.

“How the Swan Lady turned a hissing aggressive bird into a calm stroke-able pet was amazing. The neighbours are still talking about it now.”

The bird was taken by members of the CW10 group to Stapeley RSPCA, weighing 6.5kg with some blood on its foot. It was tagged and kept in to gain weight, before being released on Saturday.

Lena Porter, a group member, said: “On the second try of cornering the cygnet, I managed to catch it and put it in the swan bag.

“After a round of applause, I drove to RSPCA at Stapeley Grange. It has been checked for lead and x-rayed, to see if there was any injuries.

“Luckily there was nothing wrong, except it might have been on its maiden flight and just not had the strength to fly home again. It happens a lot at this time of the year.

“They offered to donate to our group, but I was in a rush to get to the RSPCA. We would be very grateful for any help towards the corn and petrol.”

Cygnets hatch throughout most of summer, generally between April and July, and by October are reaching the age where they begin to fly.