'Pro-duck-tive' rescue by Sheffield cops

PC Jones and one of the rescued ducklings

There was a traffic chaos for motorists at Sheffield Parkway on Sunday morning as a mother duck and her brood of ducklings attempted to fly the nest and wing it across the road.

Fortunately, thanks to the swift action by South Yorkshire Police who came to the rescue, they managed to put the situation under control.

On a Facebook post, the police said: "PC Jones and PC Walker managed to quite literally get their ducks in a row, quickly clearing the scattered birds to the side of the road.

"Unfortunately in their panic, several of the ducklings fell between the quacks and down a drain.

"With traffic now passing safely, it was down to Firearms Support Group Sergent Clive Tyree to extract them and bring them back to safety.

"He took it like a duck to water."

However, the mother duck fled the scene during the rescue.

"Mother duck absconded from officers, meaning the six ducklings are now with RSPCA Sheffield. The RSPCA will now work to reunite the ducklings with their mother.

"A quacking effort, team!" the post said.

It is however uncertain how the mother duck escaped, but it was unlikely to have been due to "fowl" play.