RSPCA ruffles feathers by closing rush-hour street to save a pigeon
Locals complain about the disruption as the fire brigade uses a hydraulic platform to free bird
THE RSPCA caused a busy road’s rush-hour closure by calling firemen to save a pigeon.
Residents and shoppers hit out after being barred from the city street.
Many watched as the brigade used a hydraulic platform to free the trapped bird from a shop’s rooftop netting in Chester.
The rescue is thought to have cost taxpayers around £600.
Local Michael Frost, 72, said: “It was a complete waste of time. We all thought the disruption was due to someone being trapped with a fire inside we couldn’t see, not a pigeon. They’re a complete nuisance round here, hence the netting to try to stop them nesting.”
Shopworker Cerys Haslam, 24, said: “We get lots of pigeons on the rooftops here and they make a mess on the pavements. My dad calls them flying rats.”
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said the street was closed to protect the public because crews were working from height. An RSPCA spokesman said the bird, now being cared for by the charity, would probably have died without the rescue because it was “badly trapped”.
He said: “We can request the help of the fire and rescue service. It’s up to them what level of response they provide. We do not have the equipment to carry out these rescues.”