A pair of swans with seven cygnets have been causes chaos of roads round Langney in Eastbourne. Sussex Police have now been called out three time and East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS) have received over 100 calls of concern from local residents whilst the family of swans have gone on a walk about round the local housing estate.

The swans which are residents at a small pond behind Langney Shopping Centre have gradually started walking their youngsters around the housing estate over the past 3-4 weeks. They have walked up and round to the car park at Langney Shopping Centre, have walked round the circumference of the local junior school and even walked along sections of the busy Sevenoaks road. This weekend saw the family walk as far away as Pembury road and towards the Martello Pub on Langney Rise.

"This is certainly unusual behaviour and our rescuers have been out numerous times to try and figure out what they are trying to achieve. One possibility it that a nearby pond is no longer accessible to them and they are trying to find an alternative site to go to" said Trevor Weeks, rescue co-ordinator for East Sussex WRAS.

"It is not unusual for swans to move their young away from the pond where they were born to a new site where there is a better food source or where they feel safer. However, they don’t normally just wander around in different directions like this" Trevor added.

The situation at Langney is causing concern for many local residents and for members of Swan Watch. Debbie Message of Swan Watch said "Friday they went walking and I had to call the police as I was so concerned about their safety."

The swans have turned in minor celebrities when they go walking around the housing estate and people have started feeding them in their front gardens.

"I would like to thank everyone for their help in keeping them safe but please do not feed them when they go wandering as they have started revisiting several gardens knowing that food can be found there, if they start wandering please ring WRAS as soon as possible" said Debbie.

East Sussex WRAS and Swan Watch are looking at the possible reasons for them wandering and is in the process of approaching Natural England the wildlife arm of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). "If with Natural Englands help we can not find a solution on site to the problem we may have to look at a licence to move the swans for their own safety. The last thing we want is for one of them to die as a result of their walk-abouts" said Trevor Weeks.

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Press Contact: Trevor Weeks, East Sussex WRAS, 07931 523958

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