Distressed swan turns out to be plastic chair after emergency RSPCA call

RSPCA officers often have to attend animals in distress, from badgers to squirrels, the safety of animals is paramount to them.

However, sometimes members of the public have been known to get it wrong.

In Bournemouth a concerned member of the public called the RSPCA after driving past the River Stour and seeing a swan in distress.

An RSPCA officer was urgently dispatched to attend the scene and help the swan which was reported to be tangled in fencing after the river broke its banks.

Graham Hammond from the RSCPA said: “I went out to check on the bird and had prepared to call out the water rescue team for back-up but, before they hit the road, I managed to get closer and get a good look at the ‘bird’ - which turned out to be a white plastic chair floating in the water."