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Hawk attacking villagers may have to be euthanised

Alex Pope
BBC News, Hertfordshire
Roy Lambden A man in a blue coat, and blue jeans, walking away from the camera, with a hawk flying above his head, there are bushes and a grass area to the left. The image is grainy as it has come from a home security system. Roy Lambden
Roy Lambden captured the moment the bird attacked him on his home security system

A hawk that attacked between 40 and 50 people may have to be euthanised, a council warned.

Flamstead Parish Council said a falconer had been brought into the Hertfordshire village to try and catch the bird of prey which had been swooping at residents for several weeks.

It said while the falconer was "extremely close" to catching the bird, attacks were now becoming more regular and taking place over a greater distance.

The authority added sadly it was "getting close to the stage where we may have to euthanise the hawk".

Kimberly Piper/BBC 91-year old Glyn Parry is stood outside smiling at the camera. He is wearing a hat with a piece of shoelace tied underneath his chin to keep his hat on. He is standing in front of a number of houses, by a green area with trees.Kimberly Piper/BBC
Glyn Parry has made a chinstrap out of a shoe lace to avoid losing another hat

"We are acutely aware that the hawk's attacking is becoming more regular and the area in which it is attacking has widened", the council added.

It believed the hawk was eating in the village and warned people not to feed it.

"The hawk is not as hungry as it has been and would not feed at all from the falconer last night, despite having done so over the past few evenings," the council said.

"This was always going to be a long process, and by feeding the hawk, that process is now taking much longer than anticipated.

"If you are feeding the bird, or know of anyone who is, please ask them not to."

It added the falconer was still confident they could catch the bird.

Kimberly Piper/BBC There is a tree on the left-hand side on a driveway with houses behind it. There is a road on the right-hand side of the photo.Kimberly Piper/BBC
The bird has been swooping down and attacking people in Flamstead for several weeks

The council's update came after the bird took two woolly hats from the head of Flamstead resident 91-year-old Glyn Parry.

A spokesperson for nearby Whipsnade Zoo confirmed the bird was not theirs, but said: "Birds of prey aren't actively hostile towards humans, but may attack if provoked or if they feel threatened if a person got too close."

Hertfordshire Police has also advised people not to feed it and it was working with local experts to try and safely deal with the situation.

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