3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Police officer rescues swan in ‘Hot Fuzz' moment
A police officer had a 'Hot Fuzz moment' when rescuing a wandering swan from the middle of a Colchester road.
Essex Police 's heritage and wildlife crime officer PC Jed Raven, who likened the job to the popular British action film, was called out to move the bird on Monday.
'It was a bit of a wild goose chase, but I knew I had to wing it,' PC Raven said. The force said it had been returned safely.
British actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost chased a missing swan as two police officers in the 2007 film set in the fictional town of Sandford.
In the iconic scene, Mr Pegg plays bored police officer Nicholas Angel and is called in to track down the missing bird.
Essex Police said: "The swan is now back to swanning about in its natural habitat, and PC Raven is officially the beak-on of community safety."
In October 2023, three police officers were called in to escort a lost swan in Bath's city centre after it caused a flap among shoppers.
Avon and Somerset officers appeared to handle the situation more smoothly than Constable Angel as three officers moved the bird on towards the nearby River Avon.
One used a fluorescent police jacket to gently usher the wayward swan towards the river as shoppers pulled out their phones to snap the scene.
Local Simon Galloway, 49, said: 'I was just out shopping with my wife and daughter – and we noticed a bit of commotion outside the shop.
'That was when we saw a cygnet being escorted down the street – presumably down to the river. There were loads of shoppers around, everyone had their phones out, laughing.'
