ANIMAL lover Paul Clark has been told he can no longer visit a local bird sanctuary alone - because he is deaf.

Paul (28), of Horne Street, Bury, has been profoundly deaf since birth, and has been a volunteer at Greenmount Wild Bird Hospital for the last ten months. Throughout the winter, he turned up regularly to help feed and clean out the many species of birds at the sanctuary off Brandlesholme Road, Bury.

But last Thursday (May 15), one of the charity's committee members arrived at the sanctuary and demanded that he return his key. The decision has been made on health and safety grounds.

Communicating through sign language, Paul said: "I was upset and annoyed. At first I refused to give her the key because I need it to get in to the sanctuary, but in the end I had no choice."

Sanctuary volunteers are also upset by the news, and say that Paul is being discriminated against because he is deaf.

Volunteer Sandra Crompton said: "All the volunteers have keys so they can come and help out when they can.

"Paul is a very responsible young man and has helped out all through the winter, come rain, hail and snow.

"It's very upsetting because Paul thought he had done something wrong. He was given no explanation why he was suddenly not allowed to come on his own any more. To him, that key was a little bit of independence and they have taken that away from him."

Paul visited the sanctuary twice a week, and is able to communicate through sign language and written messages.

Trish Graham, a friend of Paul's, said: "Just because he doesn't communicate in the same way we do, there is no need for this kind of discrimination."

"We are absolutely devastated. Paul doesn't have many pleasures in life and this was one of them. It had given him a new lease of life."

"He has given up a lot of his time to care for the birds and this is his thanks."

"He cares for the birds so much and is very good with them. And he is not afraid of doing the dirty jobs as well as the pleasant ones."

Secretary of the committee, Jean Stewart, said: "We have nothing against Paul working there, but because he is deaf and cannot speak, he wouldn't be able to communicate if there was an accident. We were concerned for his health and safety.

"He is not being stopped from going there, he is a good helper. But we didn't know that he had a key and that he was going on his own."

The sanctuary has been closed to the public since February for repairs. Committee members say at this time they do not know when the sanctuary will be re-opened

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.