Barons Quay: Pigeon dies after being trapped in netting

Lifelong Northwich resident Cara Evans discovered a bird had got itself trapped when out with friends for coffee on Sunday, October 15.

Despite reporting it to site management and to the RSPCA, she returned this weekend to find the bird was still there but was now dead.

Cara, who is 31 and works of an ecological consultancy, said: “It wasn’t until Sunday (October 29), that I went back to that same spot to sit on the steps and noticed the poor pigeon had died.

“Not only had it died, but had quite clearly suffered a horrendous, slow death and had been left there to rot. My heart sank.

“I was extremely shocked it had been allowed to die in such horrific circumstances, even after informing so many people who are supposedly there to ‘help’.

“The worst part of this is that both Barons Quay and the RSPCA were fully aware of the trapped bird, both had assured me that they were actively helping to free it, and yet neither of them acted and the poor thing was left there to suffer inexplicably.”

The bird was trapped in netting along the side of Asda at Barons Quay (Image: Newsquest)

The RSPCA has confirmed an officer was sent to the scene but due to the location of the bird, was unable to rescue it.

A spokesperson said: “One of our officers visited the location after this incident was reported to us and saw the pigeon, alive, sitting extremely high up on a ledge behind the netting.

“Due to the height of where it was trapped we were unable to reach the bird but we made enquiries and were advised by the site manager that a third party - with equipment high enough to reach the bird - had already been contacted to come out.

“We are now extremely sorry to hear that the pigeon subsequently died and this sad case highlights our concerns about bird-deterrent netting.”

It is understood the netting was put in place to protect the public, as some of the glass used to in the construction of Barons Quay was faulty.

In March, developers Balfour Beatty said they will replace the suspect windows.

A spokesman for the animal welfare charity added: “Each year more than 1,000 reports are made to the RSPCA about wild birds trapped in or behind netting, many incidents involving bird-deterrent netting, and we are aware of previous incidents at this location.”

On Tuesday (October 31), a spokesperson for Barons Quay confirmed the deceased pigeon has now been removed.

The spokesperson added: “Barons Quay now has an environmental team supporting us going forward, so that situations like the recent one with the pigeon can be dealt with much faster, usually within 24 hours.”