Magpie's lucky escape from sticky situation

The magpie is now free as a bird following the ordeal

Animal rescuers have turned a magpie's sorrow to joy by freeing it from a sticky trap.

Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital said the bird was found by the RSPCA with the contraption stuck to its tail before being brought in on 5 November.

A vet used oil to remove the sticky trap before the magpie was moved to the wildlife hospital for further rehabilitation and "several baths".

The Kibworth Beauchamp-based hospital team said the bird had now been released back into the wild.

On social media they wrote: "Thankfully rodent sticky traps have now been banned, except with a licence, but fly sticky traps still pose a problem and are indiscriminate."