An injured heron was rescued from a lake in Beddington Park after it got tangled in fishing wire.

The struggling bird was spotted on floating debris in the middle of the lake at 5pm on Monday, July 9.

It was snagged on branches by a fishing line which had become tightly wound around its legs.

A Riverside Animal Centre volunteer entered the heavily silted water in chest waders to rescue the bird.

It was taken to the organisation's centre in Park.

The fishing line was unravelled and a hook at end of the line that had become embedded in the side of the bird's face was removed.

Ted Burden ,the centre's founder, said: "After a couple of hours the bird appeared bright and lively and so it was released back onto the lake."

He added: "Fishing does not occur on Park lake so the bird probably acquired the line and hook elsewhere.

"For the hook to become embedded as and where it did, it must have hit the bird at the point at which it was being cast by an angler. This is not uncommon where anglers fish on ponds and lakes which are populated by waterfowl."

"Fishing tackle remains one of the most significant pollution and injury problems affecting waterfowl at thousands of locations in the UK and dealing with the resultant injuries costs animal rescue charities tens of thousands of pounds every year.

"More importantly, it causes hundreds of cases of severe suffering and even death to and other animals who are simply trying to exist in their own environment."