A swan had to be rushed into emergency surgery after it was shot through the head with an arrow.

Frantic calls from members of the public reported seeing the female swan floating down the Thames near Higginson Park in Marlow, Bucks.

A team from Swan Lifeline were called to rescue the bird, which was still alive, at around 8am last Thursday and it was taken into surgery to have the arrow removed.

According to vet Paul Crocker, who operated on it at the Eton based centre, the arrow missed the bird's brain by a centimetre.

It is thought the three-year-old swan had been shot on Wednesday night and would have been in serious distress until it was picked up.

Wendy Hermon, lifeline coordinator, said: "It's just a miracle it's still alive, I hope it's a one off. It will probably be with us at least another week, maybe even another two weeks.

"We have had awful things done to swans, to have a swan with an arrow through its head, it's all upsetting."

The swan is one of the Queen's birds and whenever any of them are hurt, Her Majesty's Swan Marker, David Barber has to be informed.

David said this is not the first time he had known the birds to be shot at.

"What we're trying to do is avoid situations like this for the future," he said, "We work very hard at it and in fact the numbers for vandalism and shootings on swans have gone down in the last year."

He added: "This particular incidence is particularly horrific and we're deeply shocked by it."

David, who has worked as swan marker for 14 years, praised staff at the lifeline centre for their rescue operation and said they did a marvellous job.

The swan is now making a full recovery and should be released back onto the Thames soon.

Police are investigating the attack.