FEATHER DUST-UP

FURIOUS TRUCKER ATTACKED CROWING COCKEREL THAT KEPT HER AWAKE FOR MONTHS

- JAMES HOLT & JAMIE LOPEZ

A SLEEP-deprived lorry driver left a cockerel 'wobbly' and 'unable to walk' after attacking it - because its constant crowing kept waking her up.

Caroline Smith said she reached the end of her tether and became 'very, very angry when the bird an araucana breed kept waking her up in the early hours.

Smith, 52, eventually resorted to taking things into her own hands when the issue wasn't resolved and she was once again disturbed by its crowing.

She admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the bird, named Eddy.

Smith was living on a house boat when the bird hatched on the boat of one of her neighbours.

Wigan magistrates court heard it was initially believed the bird was a hen.

Prosecuting, Ann McDonald said the incident happened when Smith returned from holiday late one night in September last year. The bird's owner, Justine Carroll, was also away.

Ms Carroll had previously told her neighbour that if the crowing continued to be a problem, she would either rehouse the bird or humanely kill it.

Believing the issue would have been sorted, Smith was enraged to again be woken up early the following morning.