"DESPITE local fears, Upton's now-famous family of swans have been returned to the Severn, fully recovered from the pollution which left them covered in diesel oil," reported the Gazette 25 years ago.

"One of the six cygnets died from serious injuries received before spending a week in a bird sanctuary, although the remaining five young and two adults are reported to be all healthy.

"Mrs Jan Harrison, who takes in sick swans for the RSPCA at their Wychbold farm, said the birds had been brought to her on August 8, covered in diesel oil. 'The one cygnet was in a particularly sorry state,' she said. 'It had been hit in the head and lost the sight of one eye.

" 'The others were washed regularly, and we gave them antibiotics and kaolin.' She added that even if only one bird had been ill, the whole family were cared for: 'You cannot split a family of swans up'.

"A spokesman for the Severn Trent Water Authority said it would be practically impossible to tell which boat the diesel had come from, although diesel varied slightly between brands.

"He reminded boat users that it was illegal for boats to dump diesel into the river or wash their bilges out. This was the most likely source of pollution, as bilges contain high concentrations of diesel.

"At their monthly meeting on Tuesday, the parish council expressed concern about the plight of the swans, which are popular with visitors to Upton. Councillor Bert Loynes said: "It seems a great tragedy that this should happen. The swans have already suffered enough from the effect of anglers' lead shot over the years."