Watch highways officers save confused swan from high speed traffic on M1 in Northamptonshire

The swan was first spotted on the verge alongside the northbound carriageway of the M1 near Northampton, but it then wandered onto the carriageway and into the path of the mid-morning traffic.

Footage captured on National Highways’ CCTV cameras, shows vehicles coming to a complete stop in an effort to avoid the bird as it swanned around the four lanes. It moved over the verge but then headed back into the path of oncoming traffic again.

Traffic officers Adrian Woods and Simon Quigley from the nearby National Highways’ Watford Gap Outstation were dispatched and set about keeping the swan and road users safe.

Adrian said: “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. It is a bit of a shock when they hit the ground so the swan was a bit confused and it’s ego bruised.”

Simon carried out a rolling road block, which brought the traffic safely to a stop for a few minutes. Adrian was then able to capture the bird using a swan bag, which traffic officers carry in their vehicles.

Once safely strapped in, they took the swan to a small lake just off junction 16 of the motorway at Northampton and it was swiftly able to swim away happily.

Adrian, who has been with National Highways for seven years, added: “This is the fourth swan rescue I’ve had to deal with and we are trained how to deal with the situation and use the bags.

“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 'happy as Larry' and seemed quite unscathed by the excitement. It was a happy ending all round.”

As well as dealing with the occasional animal on the loose, traffic officers also clear obstructions and spills, help remove broken-down vehicles and work in partnership with the police and other blue light services, by managing road closures when there is a serious incident.