IT WAS a case for the flying squad.
And now police hope to have the culprit up before
the beak.
Two valuable parrots stolen from a Northwich pet
shop shortly before Christmas have been found safe
and well.
African grey parrots Polly and Arnie were taken
in the early hours of Wednesday, December 8, from
the Firthfield Pet Store on Witton Street.
Owner Thelma Edgerton has had the pair - aged 11
and 14 respectively - since they were born, and
feared they could be traumatised, especially as
Arnie was stolen before, eight years ago, and later
sold on in a pub.
But now they have returned to roost. PC Michael
Jepson, a Northwich Community Action Team officer,
recovered the two parrots from a residential address
in Winsford last Tuesday, March 8. A 30-year-old
woman arrested at the scene has been helping police
with their enquiries. She has been bailed to appear
at a police station on April 18.
Thelma, who last week had launched a petition to
get the case featured on Crimewatch UK, is delighted.She
said: 'They are squawking and whistling away - Polly
is a bit distant when you talk to her, but other
than that they don't seem as if they have been away.
They seem to have been well treated by whoever took
them, though Polly lost a few feathers when she
was snatched, though they will grow back.
'The customers are over the moon, everyone is chuffed
they are back.'
Thelma said the Parrot Theft Organ-isation had told
her parrots are very resilient birds, and that theft
of the creatures - which can live up to 80 years
- is a fairly common occurrence.
PC Jepson said: 'Arnie certainly has the appropriate
name - he said 'I'll be back' and he is.'The parrots
were sorely missed and it was great to be able to
reunite them with their rightful owner.'
Thelma, who went to work for her father-in-law
Joe Edgerton when he set up the pet store in 1962,
is looking forward to working alongside the parrots
for many more years to com
