Quacker of a job by Dunedin's boys in blue

It was a police rescue with a difference yesterday as the derring-do of two of Dunedin's finest saved the day for a family of ducks.

Calls to police came in about noon of a mother and her ducklings waddling along the barrier of a busy southbound lane on State Highway 1 by Green Island.

Police sped to the scene of the potential recipe for disaster in a patrol car with flashing lights and siren.

Dunedin Constables Chris Parsons (with beard) and Matt Sheat use their hats to corral a family of ducks that strayed on to State Highway 1 by Green Island yesterday. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery

Constables Chris Parsons and Matt Sheat, helped by members of the public, went about their work as cars swept by alarmingly close to the tiny creatures.

Traffic was stopped and one duckling encouraged into a policeman's cap, but it showed remarkable agility and bolted back on to the road.

The mother duck took flight, but settled off the highway shortly after.

After a period in which the ducklings scattered in all directions across the road, they were encouraged safely off the side of the highway.