RSPCA RSVP: A £20,000 legacy from a Bury businesswoman to the RSPCA sparked off a move by the organisation's Bury branch to gain a share of the pot. Bury and District RSPCA chairman Mr Bill Tasker suggested the charity's HQ should give a least five per cent of legacies back to local branches. Secretary Mr Peter Wright said: "The situation regarding wills is that if people state they want to give money to the RSPCA it is assumed they mean the national body."

STAFF INCENSED: A player at Greenmount Cricket Club saw a kestrel diving at him so he hit out with his bat at the bird and killed it. The kestrel had escaped from Greenmount Wild Bird sanctuary and staff were incensed. Mrs Irene Zalasiewicz said swooping was just the bird's way of begging for food and it often landed on the heads of staff and would play with their hair.

The batsman said he was terrified when the bird swooped down and it certainly had not looked tame to him. It had dived once and he hit out with his bat, missing it. When it flew at him again, he swung out hitting and killing the bird.

NEVER TOO OLD: After being ejected from Bury General Hospital by a police officer, a 65-year-old man climbed up a sign post, local magistrates heard. The man was later charged with being drunk and disorderly and was fined £10.