A FAMILY of four swans had to be rescued from Stourbridge Canal after they were found covered in oil which had got into the waterway.

The RSPCA turned out to rescue the stricken birds yesterday (Sunday February 23).

Inspectors John Ratcliffe and Boris Lasserre used a boat on the water and deputy chief inspector Vicki Taylor helped from the towpath to catch the four swans which were covered in oil.

Vicki said: “There was a drum of oil with the cap off which had leaked into the water.

"There was oil everywhere in one part, it’s really bad for birds because it affects their plumage and they can ingest it when they are preening."

Stourbridge residents took to Facebook to praise the efforts of the RSPCA in helping to rescue the swans which were taken to the RSPCA Stapeley Grange wildlife centre in Nantwich, Cheshire, to be cleaned up and checked over before they can be released back into the wild.

Vicki added: “We were pleased we were able to rescue them and get them to the wildlife centre for cleaning.

“There was a lot of rubbish along the banks, so it’s possible the drum had been dumped. It’s another sad example of how litter is damaging the natural habitats and affecting wildlife.”

If oil is not removed from water birds it reduces the natural waterproofing in their plumage, leaving them at risk of dying from hypothermia. It is vital that they are treated as soon as possible.

The RSPCA said sometimes several deep cleans are needed to remove all the oil and it can be labour intensive.

Lee Stewart, manager at Stapeley Grange, said: “Cleaning just one bird can use half a bottle of washing-up liquid, and oiled birds sometimes need to have multiple washes to be completely cleaned of the oil - so staff will get through a large number of bottles.”

The Canal & River Trust also attended the incident and deployed floating absorbent booms and mats to absorb as much of the oil spill as possible.

A spokesman for the trust added: "These are specifically designed to repel water and only absorb oil - with a single pad able to absorb and contain over a litre of oil. A boom was also installed at the weir to prevent oil from entering the adjacent River Stour.

"Due to the strong winds the oil had dispersed over a large area so the booms and mats were left in-situ to continue to absorb the oil overnight.

"Today much of the town arm section is clear of oil apart form a patch still present on the bend down from Coalbournbrook Bridge (Wollaston Road).

"Fresh absorbent mats have been deployed again to continue to absorb the last of the oil. The situation is continued to be monitored by Canal & River Trust.

"We’re not sure where the pollution has originated from or how this came to enter the canal. Unfortunately, as with most of our pollutions, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to find out who caused the incident."

Anyone who has any information about where the oil container came from can call the Canal & River Trust on 03030 404040.

Anyone who sees any other wildlife in distress or with signs of oil on their feathers is urged to contact the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018.