Peregrine falcon 'trapped' at QE Hospital Birmingham after pigeon chase

Staff said the bird of prey had chased a pigeon into the courtyard

A peregrine falcon has become trapped in the grounds of a hospital after chasing a pigeon into the building's courtyard.

The bird of prey has been stuck on the third storey of Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital since Friday, the fire service said.

Staff said the bird became trapped halfway up the interior courtyard area, which is not accessible to the public.

Crews are now working with the RSPCA to try to free the bird.

The hospital said it was "pleased" the crews were on site and hoped they would be able to rescue the falcon.

'Try to catch it'

"It can't orientate its way out," a representative said.

The bird was spotted by a member of the public looking out of a ward, who contacted West Midlands Fire Service.

The fire service said: "Birds of prey need a bit of a drop to start flying and, unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have the space.

"We are going to have to try to catch it and get it to safety.

"Although we do a lot of animal rescues, we haven't been involved in anything like this before."