Police capture swan taken from harbour by a ‘drunk man’ – in scene just like the movie Hot Fuzz 

Devon police officers found themselves living out the plot of the movie comedy Hot Fuzz after they escorted an injured swan to the vet in the back of their squad car. 

The bird had got into a spot of bother in Plymouth harbour last night and been rescued by a ‘drunk man’ – but was then hit by a car while waddling around a busy road.

Naturally the incident was quickly likened to Edgar Wright’s 2007 comedy Hot Fuzz.  In the film, bungling village coppers are charged with arresting a swan. 

Police were swiftly called to the scene where they found the whining swan and a crowd of concerned locals – who had reportedly wrapped the distressed animal up.

After placing it in the back seat of their car, the officers drove the animal to the vet – where it is now on the mend. 

The injured swan was escorted to the vet and is now being nursed back to health 

A similar incident was made famous in a scene from 2007’s Hot Fuzz

Sharing the news of their escapade on Twitter, a Plymouth police account said: ‘Not your usual prisoner! 

‘Report of a swan being removed from the harbour by a drunk male before it being involved in a collision on Mutley Plain. 

‘Taken to the vets where they are nursing it back to health.’

In the hit British comedy Hot Fuzz, ex-Met cop PC Nicholas Angel, played by Simon Pegg, and his bumbling partner PC Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) chase an antisocial swan through the fictional village of Sandford.

But they fail to catch the irate bird – resulting in one busybody local saying to the press: “No luck catching them swans then?”

Relying to the tweet, a parody account for the film’s fictional Sandford police force said: ‘Well done team. 

‘You may well have prevented anyone coming to serious harm by detaining that rogue swan.’

In reference to the film’s complainant, one said: ‘Was the call made by a Peter Ian Staker?’

Another asked: ‘Just the one swan?’

One laughed: ‘Further confirmation were it needed that Hot Fuzz is actually a documentary.’ 

 

Naturally the responses to the incident were filled with Hot Fuzz references 

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: ‘Police were called at 6.20pm yesterday to Mutley Plain following reports that a swan had been removed from the harbour by a man, who had left the area prior to police arrival.

‘It was reported that the swan had possibly been hit by a vehicle. Members of the public had wrapped a blanket around it and called the vets. It was taken to the vets by officers and left in their care.’

It’s not the first time a swan’s caused trouble for Devon cops, in 2020 police were forced to close part of the M5 motorway near Exeter after a swan waddled onto the carriageway