Lost chickens come home

Stephanie Beale wrote to us last week to say she had lost a black cockerel and a chicken from her home in Ninfield Road.

"I want them back," she said, having kept them for eggs in her garden since February.

Her first action was to contact the police to tell them the birds had gone.

"The police were a bit gobsmacked about it. I don't think many people would bother to report this, but I just wanted to know if they were found on the streets, or outdoor somewhere, they would be able to put two and two together."

The local constabulary weren't needed, however, thanks to the incredible powers of deduction of reader Gillian Stone, of Cooden Drive.

She spotted the appeal in the Observer and realised her friend Margaret Van Draat, of Freezeland Farm further up Ninfield Road, had recently taken in a rooster and bird she bought from children, who claimed to have rescued them.

Margaret cares for many birds and animals on her land and was happy to hand over the 3 the youngsters asked for. But having been told of Stephanie's letter she was able to make contact and return the birds to their rightful home.

"It all ended quite happily," Margaret said this week.

"She is pleased to have them back - so it has all ended very well. But if she hadn't had her letter published I would never have known."

Stephanie commented: "I was absolutely amazed - everybody tried to tell me it must have been a fox because of where we are - you see them in the daytime just walking about - but I just knew it wasn't."