Swan family halts city rush-hour

Passers-by stopped traffic while the birds were led to safety

Tyneside's rush-hour traffic was briefly brought to a standstill when two swans and their cygnets wandered across a busy road.

Passers-by rushed to stop cars as the seven birds tried to cross the busy Claremont Road roundabout in Newcastle city centre on Thursday morning.

Vehicles on the sliproad for the city's central motorway were stopped in both directions for several minutes.

The animals were ushered in the direction of nearby Exhibition Park.

Once there, the family of swans headed for the park's lake.