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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Helena Horton

Ministers urge City of London to act over swimmers in Hampstead Heath wildlife ponds

People sunbathe on grass and wade in water, with a yellow 'no swimming' sign visible
Swans and their 12-day-old cygnets were disturbed by hordes of splashing revellers in the north London park on Monday. Photograph: pixel8000 ltd/gavin rodgers/pixel8000

Ministers have written to the City of London demanding it stop people from swimming in a protected pond on Hampstead Heath, after disturbing scenes of cygnets and eggs being disrupted went viral on social media.

Swans and their 12-day-old cygnets were disturbed by hordes of splashing revellers in the north London park on Monday as temperatures reached a record 35C in the capital. In one video, a swan was seen poking an unhatched egg with its beak after it fell into the water during the chaos.

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