A FAMILY of three swans who were sitting in the middle of the A170 - and deemed a danger to traffic - were rescued and rehomed on the Rye.

The birds were spotted on around the busy road in Pickering at around 11am on Sunday, October 9.

A police spokesperson said: "We received a report that a family of three swans were wandering around the A170 in Pickering, having been forced to leave their pond by other swans.

"The swans were sitting in the road and causing a danger to traffic, so PCSO Andy Birkinshaw, from North Yorkshire Police's Rural Taskforce, went to the scene and sought advice from an RSPCA officer who also attended.

"Together with local resident Stephen Hunter, they managed to secure the swans in the back of a van, and drove them to Malton where they were safely released on to the River Rye.

"We're grateful for the assistance of the RSPCA and the local community to help bring the incident to a safe conclusion."

North Yorkshire Police's Rural Taskforce is the biggest police team of its kind in the country.

The team works with local groups and individuals to identify and solve issues of concern to rural communities.

They provide a visible presence in rural towns and villages - and have specialist training do deal with wildlife-related issues.