Laurel and Hardy whistling cockatiels rescued

Laurel and Hardy whistling cockatiels rescued
Story filed: 13:04 Friday 20th February 2004

Eight stolen cockatiels have been rescued by police after a member of the public heard them whistling the Laurel and Hardy theme tune.

The birds, which were stolen from an aviary in Salisbury last month, have been reunited with their owner at a police station after detectives received an anonymous tip-off.

The cockatiels, which were among 12 stolen, first developed a habit of whistling after a new addition to the aviary arrived whistling the Laurel and Hardy tune and soon had half the flock singing along.

At first the affectation seemed little more than a quirky trait but when birds later went missing police realised it could prove to be an important clue.

Wiltshire Police issued an appeal through the media last month urging members of the public to listen out for birds whistling the tune.

Police received an anonymous call yesterday from a member of the public with an ear for music who heard the distinctive call in the Bishopdown Farm area of Salisbury and remembered the unusual appeal.

Police later recovered eight birds and a stolen cage from the address and a 33-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of theft. They are currently being interviewed at Salisbury police station.

The cockatiels' owner, who asked not to be named, said: "I bought a bird from a man up in Swindon when I was working up there one day. That bird had previously been kept in an indoor cage and its owner then had taught it to whistle Laurel and Hardy. When I brought it down here and put it in the aviary, soon some of the other birds started to whistle as well."

He added that the birds had gone missing over two nights last month.

The first time he discovered some of his birds missing he thought that he must have left the door open but when it happened a second time other items had been also been taken.

The four other birds are still missing.