Families have flocked to support a family of swans claimed to be terrorising an Oxfordshire neighbourhood.

Pam Stevens is defending the swans

Some residents in Lane Close, Kidlington, which borders the Oxford Canal, said the parent birds and their six cygnets had been pecking at cars and front doors, intimidating passers-by, terrifying children and leaving mess in gardens.

But one couple claimed the river birds only reacted aggressively to protect their offspring, and added that some people may be encouraging the birds by feeding them close to their homes.

Pam Stevens and her husband, Derek, who have lived in Lane Close for 18 years, said the swans were not to blame for their behaviour.

She said: "We used to keep ring numbers, and these two keep returning each year.

"I think it's been blown up a little bit too much.

"If the children leave them alone, they won't bother them. As long as you don't feed them, they'll just wander off. They haven't actually been here for the past three days.

"We had a lot of people in the road at the weekend just taking pictures of them, and the swans weren't offering any aggression.

"It is simply down to people feeding them, and because they are attracted to their reflections in car doors. If you brush a broom along the floor, they'll move off."

Trisha Kirkham, of charity Swan Lifeline, investigated whether a special licence from the Queen's Swan Marker, to remove the swans, would be necessary. But she said there was no reason to have them removed.

She added: "Most people seem quite happy with the swans. It seems to be a minority of residents who are frightened and want them removed."

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