Scourge of the water: Hissing Sid, his partner Nancy and their cygnets are pictured on the River Chelmer, in Essex, shortly before their eviction An aggressive swan who was relocated from his river for attacking passing canoists may have had the last laugh by flying almost 40 miles back to his favourite spot.
The vicious bird, nicknamed Hissing Sid, was given his marching orders from the River Chelmer in Chelmsford, Essex, last month after he almost drowned a 13-year-old girl in a canoe.
Hissing Sid, his mate Nancy and their cygnets were rounded up and driven to a quiet lake at Gallows Hill Quarry in Suffolk. But the family appeared to have flown back.
Jean Groom, spotted Hissing Sid back in Central Park during a visit with her three-year-old grandson.
She said: 'I know a lot of people felt sad about them being moved.
'But passing the lake with my three-year-old grandson, to my amazement and delight they had returned.
'Thinking maybe a different pair had made their home, cygnets also followed and joined us at the bank. It was the very same family.'
Sid is thought to have lived on the River Chelmer for more than 25 years with his mate Nancy but over recent years the cob has been blamed for attacking canoists and walkers.
The Chelmsford Canoe Club said members tried to keep out of the 22lb swan’s way but he would launch attacks on a daily basis, knocking away their paddles with his powerful 7ft wing span and pecking holes in their boats.
In March this year, Sid was blamed for capsizing a 13-year-old girl and trying to drown her.
Aggressive: Hissing Sid struggles as he is prepared for his trip
Moving on: The family are shown trussed up in bags before making their journey to Gallows Hill Quarry, in Suffolk The canoe club sought special permission from the Queen’s Swan Marker and Natural England to move Sid and his family to a remote quarry lake away from people.
A team of six canoeists formed a barrier across the river to round up Hissing Sid, Nancy and their cygnets, before they were caught and placed in special bags to stop them flapping their wings to escape.
The move caused a flap among nature lovers who accused of the canoe club of 'stealing' the swans and being inhumane.
Clarence Milne from Basildon, said: 'They have more right to live on the water than people do carrying out their hobbies on it.'
Janet de-Bie from Witham added: 'The canoeists had the choice of using another stretch of the river when the swans had cygnets, but chose not to, how selfish.
'The swans must have been terrified as they were chased, captured then taken to the quarry. In my view that’s cruel , and was that legal to remove the Queen’s swans?
'I know what I and many other people would prefer to see on the river Chelmer and it is not canoeists.'
Sid, Nancy and their brood were driven almost 40 miles over the border to Suffolk where they were released. But it appears the Asbo family has decided to fly back to Essex.
Erica Howe, a spokeswoman for the RSPB said: 'Mute swans are very territorial creatures with just a single pair often found on smaller lakes.
'As is often the way with wild birds, they have long flight paths and are used to flying a fair distance for food. It seems likely that this swan could have made its way back to it’s former home in Essex, especially if it has been breeding there for a number of years.'
Alan Roscoe, a wildlife expert from Writtle College in Chelmsford, said it was 'possible' Hissing Sid and his family had returned to their former home but it could have been another colony who moved in.
A spokesman for Lafarge Quarries which owns the lake were Sid was moved to said they did not know if he had gone because they still had a large number of swans there.
She added: 'The only way to know for sure that Sid is back is if there are new reports of attacks.'
Hissing Sid and his family have travelled almost 40 miles from Gallows Hill Quarry, in Suffolk, back to their original home in the River Chelmer, Essex source: dailymail
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