Owl dies after being rescued from fireplace of stunned family

Stunned homeowners called the RSPCA when they heard scratching noises coming from their fireplace on Sunday.

RSPCA inspector Hayley Day dashed to the house in Bath Lane, Southwell, Nottingham, and spotted the bird's legs poking down on the log burner.

She managed to grab hold the soot-covered bird and gently pulled it to safety before taking it to the vets with a graze to on its shoulder.

She said: "The householder said they didn't use the log burner in that room which was lucky for the owl.

"He was absolutely covered in soot and at first I could not tell what species he was.

"The soot had also gone in his eyes causing bad irritation and he was quite underweight so I believe he may have been trapped for sometime.

"He probably got the graze on his shoulder as he tried to free himself.

"I believe the owl may have nested at the top of the chimney.

"The householder who rents the property said the chimney was capped but sometimes birds can make their way through cracks."

Sadly, after being examined by a vet, it was decided to put the owl to sleep.