Rickmansworth firefighters rescue Harris hawk from tree

The hawk became tangled by its tether in the tree

A bird of prey had to be rescued by firefighters after being stuck in a tree in Hertfordshire overnight.

The Harris hawk's predicament began when its tether became tangled in the branches of a tree in Uxbridge Road, Rickmansworth.

Firefighters from the town were called by the RSPCA. They used a ladder to bring the bird down safely at about 11:20 BST. The rescue took an hour.

The hawk, called Leon, had been trapped about 15m (50ft) up the tree.

RSPCA officer Grace Mead with Leon the hawk after he had been rescued from the tree

RSPCA officer Grace Mead said Leon had initially escaped from its aviary while it was being cleaned out, and had flown into the tree where he became tangled and trapped.

"The fire service were fantastic. It was a very difficult rescue but it went very smoothly," she said.

"They climbed up the tree with a ladder and had to cut some branches to reach Leon.

"Fortunately, he was not hurt. His owner was so pleased and relieved to have him back, he absolutely adores him."