PICTURED: First baby swans born in urban Deptford Creek in four years

These pictures chart the stormy first fortnight for the baby swans - where three almost died after battling sticky mud and a mini waterfall in their urban setting.

The mute swans’ parents built their home on a floating platform - designed by Deptford boat owner Alf Harmann - where the female had sat on her eggs since early April.

But friends of Creekside Discovery Centre found one cygnet missing and three more half-drowned in a mini-waterfall several days after their birth on May 13.

They rescued the three tired cygnets, who could not keep up with their family despite the volunteers' best efforts, and dried them with coats.

The trio were given to The Swan Sanctuary where they will be raised and released into the wild.

Creekside Education Trust coordinator Bettina Kabutz and conservationist Nick Bertrand said: "It is brilliant to have cygnets in the Creek again.

"The Creek is a tough place for swans to nest and successfully raise a family, having no natural sloping river banks.

"The reason they have been able to breed again is that these problems were understood by Alf Harmann who built a platform specially designed for them to use.

"It has been a fantastic success and all credit to him. "

"Now we and all our visitors will be able to watch the cygnets grow over the summer ahead."

To see the progress of the swan family, follow on twitter @Creekside_Trust

To find out more about Creekside Discovery Centre, which works with the community to promote Deptford Creek, visit creeksidecentre.org.uk/