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Owl's about that for an unwanted guest!
When Denise Derbyshire went to explore a commotion in her living room he got the shock of her life.
Instead of Father Christmas coming down the chimney she was confronted by a frightened owl!
The stunned Swinley resident, from Monument Road, watched in despair as the soot covered bird flew around the living room knocking over her most valued possessions.
And, to add to her torment, she had to wait more than eight hours for an RSPCA officer to arrive and take it away.
Denise, who works as a ward receptionist at Wigan Infirmary, said: "At this time of year the only thing you want coming down your chimney is Santa Claus bringing plenty of presents.
"Instead I got a mischievous, filthy bird whose only present for our family was a mess all over my living room carpet."
Denise and husband, Danny had noticed more soot than usual at their hearth but thought nothing of it. But the next morning Danny found more soot at the fireplace, some of which had stained the carpet.
When he returned to the room, after fetching a hoover, he was amazed to find the tawny owl sat on a log in the fireplace.
Denise said: "The owl must have been in the chimney early Wednesday evening. We were going to put the fire on that night. It's down to good fortune that we didn't.
"When I arrived home from work I couldn't believe an owl was there waiting for me, sitting on my shelf of antique plates."
The RSPCA told Danny that because the owl was not injured or in any immediate danger, they wouldn't be able to visit the home until later in the evening.
Denise said: "We named it Sooty and had to put up with him for hours.
"He was well behaved, sitting still on the plate shelf.
"But as the hours went by he started to become more agitated and started flying around the living room knocking over one of my vases, going to the toilet on my carpet and leaving marks all over the curtains and walls.
"I hope to claim for the damage that has been done on our home insurance."
A spokesman from the RSPCA said: "We were contacted about an owl which had flown down a chimney and was confined in a living room at 2.17pm.
"A collection officer was asked to go along and help. Because of a number of emergencies involving animals who were suffering he was not able to attend until 10.25pm. The member of the public was kept fully up to date with his progress.
"The tawny owl, which was uninjured, was released straight back into the wild."
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Weather for Wigan
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
