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A man jumped into the River Freshney to help a baby swan that had got stuck behind a barrier trying to follow its mother and siblings.

Crowds gathered in the Riverhead after the baby got stuck in the river underneath the bridge, and was struggling desperately to get over it and rejoin its family.

The little bird could be seen trying to get over the barrier for about ten minutes, while its mother swam back and forth nearby in distress and its siblings flapped about.

However while people looked on and shouted encouragement to the cygnet in the hope that it would overcome its challenge, one man, James Sexton, stepped up, took off his trousers and socks and jumped in the river in an attempt to help it.

James said that he has always been a lover of birds and had been a member of the RSPB in the past, and when he saw the swan separated from its mother he felt that he had to do something to help it.

Wading into the river, he took a couple of loose branches that he found and placed them over the barrier in the hope that it would create a bridge for the bird to finally get over.

But while the stranded babydidn't use the bridge in the end, it would appear that the weight of the branches helped to lower the barrier enough so that the young bird finally managed to make it over, as onlookers cheered and applauded it.

James said: "I am originally from Manchester, and lived beside the Pennines where I would take my young boys camping and twitching.

"I have always had a huge love for nature, and when I saw the little swan struggling to get back to its mum I knew that I had to do something.

"I didn't think that I would be doing this when I went into town, but I am just happy that I have been able to help it."

After James came back out of the river he received a hero's welcome from onlookers, one of whom went to a nearby shop and bought him a new pair of socks to wear.

Other bystanders also expressed concerns over the sheer amount of waste and rubbish that the swans had to wade through in the river.

One said: "Something needs to be done to clean up the river, it is not right that these birds have to live in such filth.

"There are ducklings as well as cygnets in there, I think we need to start campaigning to make the river nicer."