RSPCA rescues bird from Newcastle shop Christmas displays

A festive feathered friend has been freed from a shop where it had taken up residency among the Christmas displays.

The bird got stuck behind the glass frontage of Next in Newcastle's Eldon Square before escaping into the store for two days.

Staff attempts to catch it in a shoe box were unsuccessful.

Called in to help, RSPCA inspector Rachael Hurst said the bird seemed attracted to the bright decorations and was "flitting around the displays".

She said: "At one stage she'd landed on top of a tree and seemed very happy to stay there too."

The bird, which the RSPCA believes may be a type of finch, was first spotted in the store on Sunday but evaded staff attempts to tempt it into a shoebox with food and water.

After attempting to reach the bird on her own, Ms Hurst called in a colleague, Lucy Green, and the pair used specialist poles to encourage the bird to come down.

"She was too high up and even our reach and rescue poles couldn't reach her properly," Ms Hurst said.

"Finally we caught her behind some men's coats on the top floor, but we had to move pretty swiftly."

The bird was unharmed and released outside near an area with trees.

The RSPCA said there was information on its website for anyone else finding a wild bird trapped in an awkward place.

Because of the current avian flu outbreak people should avoid picking them up, the charity said.

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