ANIMAL lover Andrew Ellison and his girlfriend Maxine Williams are appealing to anyone who may be able to help them find their pet barn owl Barney.

The couple have hand-reared the year-old owl since it was just one month old.

Barney went missing on Thursday, October 17. It's not known if he managed to escape from the couple's address in Luther Grove, Parr, on his own, or if he has actually been stolen.

But both Andrew and Maxine fear for his safety. Barney - who is about a foot tall,almost pure white and has an ID ring (number 5035) on his left leg - has a special diet of day-old chicks which Andrew has delivered monthly. He eats at least eight a day.

If he has been stolen the person who has taken him may not be able to provide the correct diet and he may become ill. If he has escaped Barney will not be able to fend for himself, as he has never hunted or had to kill for food as a result of being hand reared.

Andrew, who also keeps chicks, parakeets, a parrot, goat, dog and cat, and another owl, says: "We are really concerned about Barney and would appeal to anyone who may have seen him, or who may know of his whereabouts to contact us.

"We also have another owl called Oscar, who is just six months old, and since Barney's disappearance we have had to keep him in the house because he's missing the company and has spent most of the time fretting. It really is a sad sight.

"Having hand-reared Barney from just a month old he is very special to us and we really do miss him, we would be grateful for any information which may lead to his return."

ANYONE who may be able to help with information regarding Barney can contact Andrew on St Helens 605799, the Crime Management Unit at St Helens police station on 0151 777 6050, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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