‘No luck catching them swans’: Shropshire PCSOs in real‑life Hot Fuzz rescue

A stranded swan brought an unexpected dash of comedy to a routine neighbourhood patrol this week, after two PCSOs found themselves conducting a rather unusual escort.

Shifnal and Albrighton officers, PCSO Newbrook and PCSO Breese, were out on patrol this week when they encountered a large swan standing squarely in the middle of the carriageway.

Apparently unfazed by the growing queue of vehicles, the PCSOs, along with a member of the public, eventually managed to detain the bird.

Secured in the back of the patrol car, the officers relocated the swan to a nearby lake, reporting their feathered passenger remained “surprisingly calm”.

PCSO Newbrook said:"When we spotted the swan in the road, all I could think was, 'No luck catching them swans then?' [a quote from the comedy film Hot Fuzz].

“Thankfully this one practically caught itself. After a bit of flapping about from us and some help from a member of the public, we managed to get it safely into custody.

“It was probably the most well-behaved passenger we've had all week."

A post on the force’s social media page said the swan was “none the worse for its adventure and completely uninjured”.

They added: “Although a little out of the ordinary, the incident was a reminder that neighbourhood officers deal with all sorts of situations.

“By working together with the public, the swan was safely moved from the road, helping to prevent any risk to both the bird and road users.

“While Hot Fuzz may have made swan-catching famous, this real-life tale had a much simpler ending: one stranded swan and a happy return home.”