A BIRD of prey became trapped inside a store in Chester and had to be rescued by the city cathedral's expert falconers.
The drama unfolded at B&M on Sealand Road on Friday when the cathedral's marketing manager Kevin Baxter made a trip to the store and quickly became aware of the bizarre situation.
A wild sparrow hawk was perched in a dark corner of the store, and had been all day – despite the best efforts of staff to lure the bird out.
A few phone calls later and cathedral falconer Pete Wright, from the Chester Cathedral Falconry Centre, gladly gave up his time to come and help the bird – and the B&M store staff – who had no idea what to do if the bird remained in store come closing time.
A few hours later and the hawk was released from the store by Pete and his girlfriend, Gemma Shaw.
The rescued sparrow hawk.
Families can meet and learn more about birds of prey at the Chester Cathedral Falconry and Nature Gardens which is home to owls, hawks, falcons and a very mischievous vulture. It’s located just off the city walls and is open daily from 10am to 4pm.
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