A stricken swan which had to be released from a frozen lake is on her way back home.
Carmel became trapped in freezing conditions at Sefton Park lake last week, requiring a rescue operation to be launched.
Concerned members of the public first raised the alarm after seeing Carmel's plight.
A team from the RSPCA and Merseyside Fire and Rescue were able to crack the ice on Sefton Park lake so they could release the bird - while her partner Felix anxiously looked on.
It appeared the swan's feathers on the underside became frozen to the ice and she kept trying to break free but was unable to do so and became exhausted.
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It's believed Carmel had been there for hours and was very cold and tired.
A crowd of onlookers gathered beside the lake to watch the rescue operation.
The swan was taken to the RSPCA's Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre, near Nantwich, to recuperate.
RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes posted on his social media account that after "seven nights of five star care" at the wildlife hospital, Carmel was due to be taken back to her home at Sefton Park today (Friday).
The RSPCA has been involved in a number of swan rescues during the recent cold snap, and were back at Sefton Park again last Sunday when another swan became frozen into the ice.
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