A PAIR of adult mute swans have disappeared from their nesting site on a lagoon on the edge of Minehead. West Somerset District Council, which owns the land where the swans were nesting, has made an appeal for information in a bid to find them. The swans, which are protected by law, have been regular visitors to the town for several years and have successfully raised cygnets each season. But they have not been seen for the past several weeks, at which time the female was sitting on a nest. Since then, there have been occasional sightings of a lone swan and of a pair of swans, but these were thought to be other birds passing through. Many people walk by the marsh-like area in which the swans were living, to the east of Seaward Way, and regularly fed the swans and other aquatic birds such as mallard ducks, moorhens, and Canada geese. The council has been liaising with the police, as it is a criminal offence under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act to cause harm to swans. It has also sought the advice of the RSPB, which suspects something has happened to the swans. Cllr Ann Foxhuntley, who holds the environment portfolio, said: "It is a complete mystery to us at the moment as to why these swans have not been seen for so long. "While there is always the possibility that they have flown off somewhere, it would be very unusual for them to leave an area they are familiar with during the nesting season, even if they were disturbed. "It is also possible that something has happened to them in terms of being predated or suffering an accident, but again it would be an extreme and rare coincidence for both to have died at the same time. "As the swans are popular with local people, questions are naturally being asked about what has happened to them." Cllr Foxhuntley appealed to anyone who knows what has happened to contact the council "so that we can understand one way or the other what has befallen them". Anyone with any information about the swans is asked to contact the council on 01643 703 04 or email [email protected]">[email protected]