Racing pigeons die in loft inferno

Firefighters from Aston Fire Station were called to the loft, on land off Alexandra Road, Swallownest, at around 3.30am this morning.

Although they were able to extinguish the flames the fire was so extensive there was no way of discovering how many birds had been killed.

A fire brigade spokesman said: “There was no way of counting the birds. The fire had destroyed so much of the building.”

Firefighters attempted to find the owner of the loft while fighting the fire but found the Alexandra Road allotments deserted.

The spokesman added: “Someone is going to have a terrible shock when they discover the damage this morning.”

Firefighters recorded the incident as “deliberate” and the police have been called in to investigate.