����ý

A pigeon sanctuary lost 30 of its birds when it was torn apart in a storm resulting in £10,000-worth of damage.

Bird rescuer Sue Joyce said she was worried for her life during the high winds earlier this week.

Ms Joyce, who runs the Little Green Pigeon Sanctuary near Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire as well as the charity's shop, said her self-built aviary was “ripped apart”.

Well-wishers have since pulled together to help restore the sanctuary.

Ms Joyce said the sanctuary, which cares for sick and disabled pigeons, suffered about £10,000 of damage due to the storm.

"The winds nearly flipped my caravan, it destroyed the aviary and ripped it apart," she said.

“I never felt scared before in it, but we were worried for our lives.

"We managed to catch most of the disabled birds afterwards. But for me it was horrific. I built that aviary.”

She said seven of the pigeons were killed by owls and hawks after the storm, and out of an initial 40 that went missing, just ten have returned.

She added that she is grateful for community support since the incident.

"The offers of help - it just restores your faith in humanity,” she said.

"Some of my friends live five hours away - they drove over to help and were here by 09:00 BST in the morning, and the local response has been incredible."

Ms Joyce said pigeons are too often “disliked” and “vilified” despite being “natural to our habitat”.

“Some are just abandoned, some are former racing pigeons and they end up in towns. There's no proper food for them and people find them ill and bring them to sanctuaries like mine."