Leicester parrot goes missing after firefighter attempts tree rescue

Barney the parrot has been missing since Tuesday

A family are desperately trying to find their pet parrot after it flew off as a firefighter attempted to rescue him from a tree.

The African grey parrot, named Barney, has been with the family in Leicester for almost five years but escaped on Tuesday.

He was spotted in a tree on Wednesday but would not come down, so the family contacted the fire service.

However, Barney was "spooked" as a fire fighter got close.

The fire crew used an aerial ladder platform to get high enough to reach Barney.

'Spooked by hats'

"They went up with the crane and my partner went up too, because if it's someone he doesn't know he wouldn't go to him," said Billie-Jean Page, whose father Gary Page owns Barney.

"I think he was spooked by the hats the fire brigade wear, because he flew back off.

"He went across the park in another tree and we legged it to that tree but he flew off again."

Barney did not come down from the tree, despite being called

Barney has not been seen since the attempted rescue in Meadow Gardens at about 17:45 GMT on Wednesday.

He flew away from his home in Stanton Row, in the Saffron Lane area of Leicester, at about 09:30 the previous day.

The family have had Barney since he was an egg and he is due to turn five in October.

Barney is sadly missed by his owner Gary Page

They said his disappearance was out of character.

"He's never flown off all the time we have had him, he talks very well, says a lot of words," said Miss Page.

They have asked anyone who spots Barney to get in touch with the family via Facebook.

Robert Towers has had Rocco the parrot for 15 years

In a separate missing parrot case, another African grey has been missing in Leicester since 17 May.

Rocco had lived with Robert Towers for 15 years, but escaped when his cage was opened to clean his perch.

"I've got another parrot, called Korky, and he's missing him like crazy," said Mr Towers.

"We've put 50 posters out now. We're desperate to get him back really.

Rocco went missing from his home in Maplin Road, on the Netherhall estate, and his owner hopes he has not travelled far.