THE culprit behind the earlier traffic congestion on the A38 has been unveiled... a swan!

The A38 came to a halt earlier today, Thursday, April 27, near the Chudleigh Knighton turnoff, due to an animal in the road, which we now know to be a swan.

Devon and Cornwall Police successfully rescued the bird, allowing for the the flow of traffic to resume uninterrupted.

It is understood that the swan will be released back into the wild at a safe location.