Sheffield traffic: Swan dubbed 'Boris Swanson' causes chaos on A1(M) in South Yorkshire

Traffic Officers found the swan on November 14 on the southbound hard shoulder between J38 and J37. It was uninjured, but team manager Lukas Cadman described it as “understandably nervous”. He said: “There were a couple of worrying moments before we got to the swan – just before we put on a rolling roadblock to slow traffic, it started waddling into the road. Thankfully, we managed to get to it in time.”

Lukas used a special animal emergency response kit, or ‘swan kit’, during the rescue, which is designed to carry animals like the nervous cygnet. Officers at the National Highways outstation at Sprotbrough decided to name the animal ‘Boris Swanson’ after former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.

Lukas said: “We did get a hiss from the swan and some flapping of wings, but it was easier to get hold of than I thought it would be. Once I got hold of its body and neck, it was quite compliant.”

After being checked over by the RSPCA, Boris Swanson was released back into a lake near Doncaster. Lukas said: “At National Highways we set out to look after all living creatures on the network who need our help. Animals on the roads can present a danger not only to themselves but also to road users, so we were glad to have been able to help this swan.”