A BLACKBIRD which took roost in a local supermarket for more than five weeks has finally flown the coop to safety.

Staff at Asda in Accrington tried everything to release the protected song bird after it decided to set up nest in the rafters of the Hyndburn Road store.

But after attempts to net it, cage it and coax it out with bait, staff thought they were left with no other alternative than to call in a marksman to destroy the bird which regularly swooped down on the food counter for grapes.

The store had obtained permission from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods to destroy the bird but attempts to shoot it failed.

As a last resort, the store called in pest control specialists National Britannia to catch the bird in a giant 'mist net' normally used for trapping sparrows.

The blackbird put up one final fight to remain in its adopted home but the delicate operation was a success and the bird flew to freedom.

A spokesman for Asda said: "We are pleased this tale has a happy ending and the blackbird was released unharmed. It did appear at one time we were going to have to destroy it because of the health and safety problems it was causing us but that was never our first option."

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