Police closed road as firefighters rescued trapped pigeon from Devonshire Road bridge - but bird had to be put down anyway

Police had to close Devonshire Road for an hour on Tuesday afternoon while firefighter attended the hapless bird, which was trapped on the railway bridge and had attracted the attention of passers-by.

Firefighters used a 10.5m ladder and some tin snips to free the pigeon before handing it over to the RSPCA.

But despite their mighty efforts, the bird later had to be put down after it was found to have a broken leg.

A spokesman for the RSPCA said: “Each year around 2,000 reports are made to the RSPCA about wild birds trapped in or behind netting, many incidents involving bird-deterrent netting. Problems arise when netting is put up incorrectly or becomes damaged, leaving gaps where birds can enter and become trapped."

If you find an injured bird or see one trapped, you can call the RSPCA’s emergency line on 0300 1234 999.

If you have seen dead birds in netting, or if you are aware of places where this problem is a regular issue of birds becoming trapped in netting, you can forward the address, property owner (if known) and date of the incident to [email protected].