An Essex Police officer experienced his own “Hot Fuzz moment” after being dispatched to rescue a stray swan from the middle of a busy road.

PC Jed Raven, the force’s heritage and wildlife crime officer, was called to Colchester where the swan had found itself in an unusual predicament.

The scene was reminiscent of a memorable moment from the 2007 comedy Hot Fuzz, in which police officers, played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, famously chase down a rogue swan.

Quipping about the incident, PC Raven said:

“It was a bit of a wild goose chase, but I knew I had to wing it.”

A photo shared by Essex Police showed PC Raven cradling the large white swan safely in his arms, beaming for the camera.

Back to “Swanning” Around

In a tongue-in-cheek statement, Essex Police confirmed the swan had been safely returned to its natural habitat:

“The swan is now back to swanning about in its natural habitat, and PC Raven is officially the beak-on of community safety.”

The incident was shared on the force’s social media channels on 4 August, where it received hundreds of likes and comments praising the officer’s efforts — and his sense of humour.

A Real-Life Hot Fuzz Moment

The feathered rescue quickly drew comparisons to Hot Fuzz’s iconic swan pursuit scene, where officers are hilariously outwitted by the runaway bird.

One commenter joked: “Life imitates art! Let’s hope PC Raven didn’t need back-up for this one.”