VISITORS and residents have been warned about feeding water birds after a group of swans began regular trips into the centre of a Lake District town.

A large number of waterfowl have traditionally frequented the shores of Windermere at Bowness, but in recent months a group of around four mute swans has taken to wandering away from the edge of the lake and into the centre of the town.

It has become a daily occurrence for the swans to walk as far as the Tesco Express store where they linger outside hoping to be thrown scraps of food by shoppers.

A number of residents have expressed fears that the birds could be hit by the busy passing traffic or attacked by dogs, and also that their large size could be intimidating to pedestrians, particularly small children.

Marian…