Daring baby swans who made news after getting washed over a weir have got into trouble again after defying rescuers’ efforts to contain them.

Charity Swan Support fished nine struggling cygnets out of the weir in Nash Mills, Hertfordshire, two weeks ago and returned them to a neighbouring millpond where their parents have nested.

Staff from Swan Support, which is based in Datchet, Berkshire, then fitted a boom across the millpond, in a bid to keep the chicks away from the edge of the weir.

But the rescue service had to leap into action again on Friday after the cygnets learned how to scramble across the boom and six got washed over the weir again.

“We were called by someone living locally after six of them got washed over again,” said Wendy Hermon, who runs Swan Support with husband Steve.

“We got them out safe and well.”

She added: “The adults have flattened the boom a little when they get over – so the cygnets can all get over as well. We’re going to take out the boom and puff it up a bit to try and stop them doing it.

“The cygnets are growing but they’re still not big enough to scramble back up the weir if they get washed over. It will probably be six months before they can do that.”