Drivers were left bemused when a huge swan landed on a road in Royston, causing traffic to be held up for several hours.

Cars, runners and pedestrians all ground to a halt in Briary Lane on Tuesday last week as the mute swan wandered up and down the street without a care in the world.

The police, local vets and RSPCA experts were alerted about the unusual hold-up but none could muster the resources to remove it to safety.

Eventually a charity volunteered to retrieve the swan.

Cambridge Wildlife Care offered to send someone over from their base near Ely in Cambridgeshire, but before they arrived the swan had disappeared.

Drivers escaped a near miss – the species is one of the heaviest flying birds in existence and has a wingspan that can exceed seven feet.

Its flapping wings are also known to be able to break human limbs.

Mute swans usually gather by water fronts.

Royston photographer and wildlife expert David Hatton, who contacted Cambridge Wildlife Care, said: “It’s rare to see the birds in Royston, and even rarer to see them walking in the middle of the road.”

If you need to get in touch with the RSPCA to report an incident, call 01223 247986.

For more information on the Cambridge Wildlife Care, visit www.cambswildlifecare.org.uk.