A budgie breeder has spoken of his devastation after losing most of his beloved birds in a fire.

Barrie Shutt, 72, who took over as general secretary of Carlisle Budgerigar Society recently, was out visiting his granddaughter Emily when he received a call from a neighbour alerting him to the blaze in his bird house.

Barrie, of Coronation Avenue, Seaton, had visited the bird house at the bottom of his garden at about 8.30am before going to see Emily.

He could see smoke rising over Seaton from Moss Bay in Workington and when he returned flames were bursting through the roof. There were about 100 budgies in the bird house but only four – which were being kept in an outside aviary – survived.

Firefighters were called to put out yesterday’s blaze.

Barrie said: “It’s like losing part of your life. I’m just lost for words.

“Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.

“You build up a relationship with the birds so it’s quite hard to know they’re not there anymore.

“You get to know their parents and siblings and their ring numbers without having to look.

“If you keep them stress-free they treat you as one of them really so what am I going to do? I had a full family but I haven’t now.

“I take the birds to shows and these were some of the best I ever had. They were prize-winners.

“It’s small things like I was soaking some seed for them this morning. I picked it up and was halfway to the bird room before I realised I’ve no birds left to give it to.

“There’s a show at the end of the month so I was just looking at the birds yesterday and thinking I’d take them.

“I’ve now got to turn this mess into a bird house again.”

Barrie now fears the four survivors may have to be put to sleep because of the effects of the smoke.

Having kept budgies since 1959, Barrie vowed to stick with his hobby despite the setback.

He said: “I’ve had lots of knocks but I’ll just pick myself up and keep going.

“I’m going to be out of the hobby for the best part of this year, I think.

“I’ll be looking at £3,000 and that’s just getting the set-up.

“I’ll call a few favours, I think, with some of the champions of the country and see if I can get a pair here or there.

“I’d be happy with three pairs to start again next January.

“One man goes to billiards, another goes for a pints and I like going down to the bird room. I get my kicks there.”

Firefighters and police are investigating the fire.