An angler who helped rescue a swan when it became tangled in a fishing net has urged the public to be vigilant.
Mike Sharpe, of Thornhill, alerted animal welfare volunteers after spotting the stricken swan at Savile Town Marina near Dewsbury.
Together with other narrowboat owners and a volunteer from Yorkshire Swan Rescue Hospital, they managed to release the swan from the net and it was otherwise unharmed.
Mike, who is a member of Thornhill Angling Club, said: “This activity is in no way associated with the anglers normally seen on the waterways with this type of fishing.
“The swan had become trapped in a tethered line. These are the waterways equivalent of a gin trap, cruel, indiscriminate and indeed illegal.
“I would urge the community to be on the look out for these and report them to the Environment Agency or a fishing club, and if you see anyone setting or retrieving one then call the police.”
Swan poachers were considered to be committing treason until 1998, as they are protected by the Crown, but the offence now carries a £5,000 fine or prison.
Incidents can be reported at www.gov.uk/report-an-environmental-incident or police on 101.
