A budgie breeder has been overwhelmed by the support he has received after losing almost 100 birds in a fire.

Barrie Shutt lost all but four of his treasured birds when a blaze broke out in their wooden house at his home in Coronation Avenue, Seaton, on Wednesday.

Mr Shutt, 72, who recently took over as general secretary of Carlisle Budgerigar Society, built the bird house in 1972.

He lost his breeding records and memorabilia dating back to then in the blaze.

But kindness from across the globe has helped Mr Shutt look towards the future as he plans to start again.

He said: “I have had the world’s best breeder in Switzerland offer to to donate me a pair of birds.

“I’ve had birds offered from Egypt and Pakistan.

“A steel company has offered to make some cages free of charge and I’ve had offers of cages from other people.

“I have had a lot of good feedback. I feel overwhelmed.”

For Mr Shutt, the biggest challenge will be the clean up.

He said: “I want to be up and breeding again by September.”

Fire investigators have been picking through the wreckage to try to establish the cause of the blaze.

Mr Shutt, who took up budgie breeding in 1959, said: “All there are are twisted bird cages. I have no cages or nest boxes.”

Mr Shutt was concerned the fire could have been linked to a new fan bought to keep the birds cool in the recent warm weather. He was relieved when an inspector sent by his insurer ruled out a link,

He said: “That takes a lot of the weight off me.”

Among the birds that survived the blaze was a k¯ak¯ariki named Scally, given as a chick for Mr Shutt’s grandchildren Alfie and Emily.

She lost many of her feathers but escaped to the outside aviary as the fire took hold.

Mr Shutt, who described the incident as “like losing part of your life”, said has struggled with everyday activities since the incident.

He said: “It breaks my heart. I haven’t slept or eaten.”

Police and firefighters are investigating the cause.