Kind-hearted staff at a Spar store have taken it upon themselves to rescue three baby pigeons that had become trapped in their new garage forecourt canopy.

After the severe storms in February, the canopy undersheet at Spar's Maryport store was damaged and needed repairing.

Due to Covid-19, the work took several months to arrange for contractors to come and repair it.

During that time, a number of pigeons had made their home under the canopy sheet.

The store was closed for two days on Tuesday and Wednesday last week, while the specialist contractors carried out the repair to the damaged canopy.

After they realised birds had become trapped they immediately set about trying to get them released.

A spokesman for Spar said: “These contractors are fully used to dealing with nesting pigeons and made sure to remove all of the birds from the canopy, cleaning the netting and at one point, leaving one side of the canopy open during feeding time to ensure that all birds had been removed.”

The manager of the Maryport store, Lisa Blacklock Hughes, said: “My colleague Karen said we should take them somewhere and AniMel Haven was suggested. One of the birds was even sitting on a contractor’s shoulder.

“I took one in one day and two the next.”

All of the other birds that had been in the canopy have now settled in the surrounding area and trees.

Mel James, from Ani-Mel Haven said: “The contractors and the girls at Spar did a great job getting these little guys to safety when, sadly, a lot of people wouldn’t have bothered.

“I just wish more people would show compassion like this with all wildlife. There’s far too much cruelty goes on.”

The baby pigeons will be staying with Mel until they are old enough to fly and fend for themselves and then they will join the rest of Mel’s rescued pigeons who, she said, “come and go as they please”.

Supervisor Sandra Morley added: “It was good to get them to Mel, we’re all animal lovers here.”