Swan that stops traffic on M1 Northampton saved

A confused swan was rescued by traffic officers after it brought a stretch of a motorway to a standstill.

National Highways said the bird wandered across a four-lane section of the M1 near Northampton last month.

CCTV footage showed vehicles had to come to a complete stop to avoid hitting the animal.

Adrian Woods, one of the National Highway officers involved, helped move the bird to a small lake off junction 16, resulting in “a happy ending all round”.

Mr Woods and a colleague were dispatched from the nearby Watford Gap outstation when the incident was reported at about 10:30 GMT on 19 November.

It was believed the bird mistook the haze on the road surface for a body of water.

They safely captured the bird using a swan bag, which is carried in officers’ vehicles.

Mr Woods said it was the fourth swan rescue he has carried out in his seven-year career with National Highways.

“Unfortunately, when the roads are wet, or there is a haze over the carriageway, swans think it is a body of water and land on the road,” he said

“It is a bit of a shock when they hit the ground, so the swan was a bit confused and its ego bruised.

“The incident was dealt with in around 10 minutes with traffic flowing again and the bird taken to a nearby lake where it was soon swimming away.”