AN unusual visitor to Blackburn Magistrates’ Court evaded capture for two hours before finally being trapped in a net.

The sparrowhawk had chased a pigeon into the court building in Northgate but got disorientated and spent the afternoon swooping around the public waiting area.

Despite the doors being left wide open to help the bird of prey escape it was in no hurry to leave.

It took police assistance and an expert in bird rescue to bring the chase to an end.

Members of the public used a separate waiting area to avoid possible injury at the claws of the distressed bird.

Lancashire Constabulary’s wildlife officer Mark Thomas was called to assist a raptor rescue team from Cuerden Birds of Prey and the hawk was captured and released back into the wild.

Mark Thomas, wildlife officer, said: “It is not often that the police will help with an escape from court, but on this occasion the bird was causing quite a bit of disruption and was also becoming distressed.

“With assistance from the Cuerden experts we were quickly able to catch it and set it free. The pigeon also escaped from becoming the other bird’s meal, as it flew back out of its own accord.”

The sparrowhawk was capture din a net and then released back into Blackburn.