POLICE were set all aflutter after having to pick up a runaway swan by edge of the A40 in Oxford.

The young bird was spotted "playing" next to the busy road, but was soon reunited with its parents and siblings. 

Thames Valley Police took to Twitter to share the news, adding that luckily the unusual pick-up came quietly. 

The force has not yet provided any further information about the swan, but did tweet several pictures of the young bird - both waddling around and in the back of a patrol car.

The incident is reminiscent of a scene in film Hot Fuzz, in which police officers played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are called out to an escaped swan in the fictional village of Sandford. 

But rather than having "no luck catching them swans, then" - and it was just the one swan actually - it would appear Thames Valley Police officers managed to quickly reunite the bird with its family.