SWAN rescuer Karl Owen is urging people not to feed the birds at a weir near the Anderton Boat Lift.

Karl has rescued swans four times in the past two weeks from the weir, where they became stuck after being attracted by food thrown by passers-by.

He fears a swan trapped in the weir could be abandoned by their parents and siblings, and has taken action in a bid to prevent any more swans becoming stuck.

Karl has created a number of signs which he has attached to railings alongside the weir asking people not to feed wildlife over the weir.

Karl lives in Old Road, and rescued three cygnets and their mother from the weir, which he overlooks.

To reach the swans he had to climb over three-foot high railings and down five feet into the weir.

The first three occasions were over the weekend of August 14 to 16, and following the latest rescue last week, involving the mother, he decided to create the signs in a bid to deter people from feeding the birds at the weir.

“People are leaning over the railings at the weir and feeding the birds with bread,” said Karl.

“The swans are being enticed by the food to go near the weir, and the wash from the narrowboats is washing them over the canal into the weir.

“Once in the weir they cannot spread their wings to get out, and I jumped in to lift them out.

“I had to grab them by the neck and stick their wings under my arm to get them out.

“It takes a lot of nerve to try and grab a swan, but if I did not rescue them no-one else would.

“I was alerted by people standing by the railings shouting that there was a swan stuck in the weir.

“Some people thought it was hilarious, and one person said he would be putting me rescuing the swan on You Tube!

“If people wish to feed the swans please do it either side of the weir, not in front of it – people don’t realise the danger of encouraging the swans to the weir.”

Karl attached three signs on Saturday morning to a length of railings alongside the weir.

David Baldacchino, the local waterway manager for the Canal and River Trust, said: “Mr Owen contacted us a few weeks ago about his concerns.

“We’re getting some designs together for signs to be put at the weir to discourage people from feeding the birds there.

“Mr Owen’s passion for the welfare of the birds is commendable, but we would discourage anyone from taking matters into their own hands in the weir.

“There are ramps in the weir that birds will find and can use to get out, or just escape themselves given time. Our experience is that they are pretty resilient.

“If people see birds in the weir if they let us know by reporting it at the Anderton Boat Lift we can take action from there.”