A young swan has been killed after being hit by a car.

East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service said it received a call last week about a cygnet that had been run over near Alfriston.

The young animal was with its sibling at the time when the incident happened, with a member of the public moving the other living cygnet to a nearby field for safety.

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Rescuers attended the scene and found the sibling, which was "clearly frightened" by the ordeal, in a nearby drainage dyke.

The team used long poles and nets to rescue the young swan and reunite it with its family, which were in another drainage dyke next to where the first cygnet was hit.

Trevor Weeks, founder of the rescue charity, said: "It's wonderful to witness them reunited as a family.

"However, it's devastating that we are faced with numerous wildlife casualties that stem directly from human actions.

"About 90 per cent of casualties where there are known causes are linked, either directly or indirectly, to human activities."

So far this year, the charity has handled 165 confirmed road accident casualties and 149 suspected ones.

These have happened on a number of roads including on the A27, A259, A22 and the A26.

The charity is now urging people to be vigilant and cautious when driving near waterways and ponds and to reduce speed when approaching corners, particularly on rural roads.

Trevor said: "Swan, ducks and geese will be wandering around moving from site to site to find suitable food sources.

"Young badgers and foxes will be exploring more now and crossing roads they are not used to crossing or may have no idea yet what a car or road is.

 “We appreciate that it's not always possible to prevent collisions with wildlife, especially if they unexpectedly emerge from hedges, even when driving at low speeds.

"However, we can minimize the risk of serious harm to both wildlife and ourselves by being more cautious."