A617 traffic: Hot Fuzz incident for Nottinghamshire Police as swan rescued from busy road
An animal rescue that even Nicholas Angel could be proud of
Police officers have again rescued a swan "causing mayhem" on a busy Nottinghamshire road.
The Ashfield neighbourhood policing team flew into action after receiving reports the bird was "running around" the A617 in Sutton-in-Ashfield on Monday, November 20.
The latest incident bears similarities to a plot line from Edgar Wright’s 2007 comedy Hot Fuzz in which actor Simon Pegg relocates to the fictional, rural town of Sandford.
His character, police sergeant Nicholas Angel, receives a call from a man who says: "Morning - the swan's escaped."
The farmer, played by Stephen Merchant, identifies himself as Mr Staker - Mr Peter Ian Staker, which Angel presumes is a hoax call.
Later, the film cuts to a scene where Mr Staker describes the missing bird in his West Country accent: "2ft tall, erm long slender neck, orange and black bill". Angel asks: "Anything else?" Staker replies: "Well it's a swan".
A hapless chase to catch the swan ensues before a shopkeeper coins a phrase popular with fans: "No luck catching them swans then?".
The stranded bird, which officers said caused traffic delays, was placed in the back of a police van and safely returned to Kingsmill Reservoir.
It is not the first time Nottinghamshire Police have come to the aid of swans.
Last month a couple of officers picked up a swan from the M1 and placed it in the back of a patrol car before safely returning the bird to Attenborough Nature Reserve.