Injured swan's feet treated with honey after police escort through village Published duration 7 January 2014

image caption The swan was given an escort when it was spotted on the main road

image caption Officers kept traffic away from the injured bird until an animal charity arrived

Concerned officers gave a swan a police escort through a Northamptonshire village after noticing the injured bird waddling through the streets.

The swan was spotted on the main road in Little Billing at about 12:00 GMT on Monday.

Officers called an animal rescue charity and followed the bird to keep it safe from traffic while waiting.

The bird's feet were later treated with honey before it was released near the River Nene.

Roy Marriott, from Wellingborough-based Animals in Need, said staff from the charity kept the swan in overnight to ascertain its injuries.

"We gave it antibiotics for an injured wing and treated its grazed feet with manuka honey.

"It's likely the bird was confused by the sun shining brightly on puddles in the road and thought it was coming in to land on water," he said.

The three-year-old male swan was released "safe and well" on an embankment near the river.

"There are about 80 to 100 male swans there," Mr Marriott said.