A swan who spent two months waiting from dawn until dusk for his soulmate to return to a Suffolk village has finally been reunited with his love.

His mate, affectionately named "Mrs Swan", was collected from Cavendish by RSPCA officer Natalie Read on January 9, after receiving reports she had a mysterious growth on her foot and was struggling to walk.

Mrs Swan was taken to the RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre in Norfolk, where vets removed the growth before keeping her in for rehabilitation.

The local resident who called the RSPCA had been regularly feeding the pair for a number of years, and said they were regulars at the village pond as well as often being spotted along the River Stour.

It is understood the swans have been together for a number of years.

Now, after spending almost two months pining for one another, the village's favourite relationship is set to blossom again.

Ms Read said: "It was just so lovely to release this swan and I was really happy to see that the male was waiting for her on the river bank at exact the almost spot that I had collected her from.

"The lovely member of the public who had reported the swan to us lives at the location and told me that the male swan had actually been sitting there everyday waiting for her to return.

"It was really wonderful to watch them reunite and they even started to do a little courtship dance as well.

"I'm so happy we were able to reunite them and it really did make my day to see them swim off together again - it's one of the best parts of this job seeing an animal who has been rehabilitated then returned back to the wild."

Those who come across an injured swan are asked not to attempt to handle or transport them, and instead keep a safe distance while calling the RSPCA 24-hour advice and emergency line on 0300 1234 999.

In 2018, the charity rescued 102,900 wild animals in the UK and took in 18,337 to its wildlife centres.