PARAMEDIC John Moorhouse had an unusual patient to deal with on Saturday -- an injured sparrowhawk.

John, who was in the rapid response vehicle on stand-by at junction 10 on the M65, said: "At about 5.10pm someone dumped a sparrowhawk on me.

"There was a lad in his 20s and he said he had found the injured bird but his friend wouldn't let him take it anywhere and so I contacted the police and they telephoned the RSPCA.

"The bird was stunned and looked as if it had been probably been hit by a car. I took it to the police station and the RSPCA advised them to get a vet to have a look at the bird."

The bird was kept in a box at the station and taken to David Greenhalgh Veterinary Surgeon, Yorkshire Street, Burnley.

Veterinary nurse Karen Antrobus said: "It's hard to say what happened. We do not know whether the bird had been run over, had got caught in wires or had been poisoned.

"We are keeping the bird here for observation but it still needs some treatment to its legs. It is really hard to say when it can be released but it is our intention to release it back into the wild when it is fit and well."