A wildlife lover has issued a heartfelt plea for people to be more thoughtful after a cygnet was injured by fishing gear.

Susan Potter is a regular visitor to the 240-acre Foots Cray Meadows Park in Sidcup, which has the River Cray flowing through it.

She said: "This year two swans returned to the river for the first time in several years.

"We used to have several pairs, but they were driven off after they were repeatedly chased by dogs.

"Naturally we were delighted when they had a cygnet.

"He was about three months old and very happy and growing quite large. But last Wednesday he was found lying on the bank injured and clearly in great pain."

The cygnet was rescued and taken to the Swan Sanctuary in Shepperton, Middlesex, where he is expected to make a full recovery.

Mrs Potter, from Orpington, said: "We thought at first he had been attacked by a dog, but the vets concluded that he had been snagged on some fishing gear, which had then been thoughtlessly ripped out.

"Fishing is not allowed here in any case, but it's astounding how people could just leave him injured like that."

"The parent birds have now been separated from their offspring and they too are clearly in distress."