Hawk's three-day residence in Chelmsford shop's rafters

A hawk which flew into a shop three days ago appears to have taken up residence in its rafters.

The bird of prey flew through the front doors of the Hobbycraft in Chelmsford, Essex, on Tuesday afternoon.

A spokesman said a local expert "attempted to entice the hawk down" earlier, but to no avail.

Instead, staff are continuing to follow advice from the RSPCA and RSPB, which is to monitor the bird and wait for it to drop from the roof space.

The shop spokesman said staff had contacted a number of animal welfare agencies, including Essex Wildlife Trust and Essex Wildlife Hospital, Raptor Rescue and local independent falconers for "tips for catching the birds".

None of them have worked so far, including the attempt by the local expert, who works for a nature reserve near Billericay.

Customer Max Anderson, also from Billericay, said it is not uncommon for birds to fly into the store "as it's such a big place".

"Staying there for three days without getting freaked out and panicking is highly unexpected," he said.

In the meantime, the shop workers are continuing to monitor the situation, and the spokesman added: "We'll be sure to update you when there is news to share."

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