If you want to cross... just honk! Photographer snaps police escort helping families of geese cross the Mall

Published: 00:04, 4 May 2026 | Updated: 00:04, 4 May 2026 Police escorts on The Mall are usually reserved for the visits of high-profile heads of state. But when two families of Greylag Geese made a trip to St James's Palace, they, too, were awarded a special guard of honour by officers helping them back home. The 11 goslings and four geese were attempting to cross The Mall to the Marlborough Gate entrance of St James's Park from the Palace when a police car flashing its sirens pulled up alongside. Two officers got out and stopped traffic before marshalling the little ones and their parents to safety just after 8am on Sunday. Bemused tourists instantly reached for their smartphones, no doubt expecting a convoy of gleaming limousines to speed by and on to Buckingham Palace at any moment. But instead, they were treated to the wholesome sight of the geese, which was captured perfectly by passing photographer Jeremy Selwyn. 'I was driving up The Mall and hopped out of my car when I saw the police siren, and I thought "What is going on here?"' the 63-year-old told the Daily Mail. 'I was worried that something bad had happened at first, but then I saw these tiny creatures with their mums and dads waddling over the crossing accompanied by police officers. Pictured: The family of geese casually crossing the road... with the help of a police escort  Pictured: A police officer ensuring the 11 goslings and four geese made it to safety Pictured: A police officer encouraging the two families of Greylag Geese cross the road while an onlooker snaps some pictures 'It was a lovely sight, so I thought, I best take some pictures quickly! The police seemed to be loving it as well as the tourists. 'I expect they all thought someone important was about to whiz past when the police car suddenly pulled out and stopped the traffic. 'Fair play to the police because with all the traffic and cyclists they could easily have been knocked down.' The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds confirmed the pictures showed Greylag Geese who are native to Britain. Along with Canadian and Egyptian geese, they live in St James's Park which is home to Great White Pelicans and a variety of ducks. The wildlife in the park are considered Crown property and are cared for by The Royal Parks, a registered charity. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.