Heroic parrot defeats pet shop burglars

Make my day: Jack rests while police use DNA from ripped clothes to trace the gang (Pictures: SWNS)A gang of burglars who cased out a pet shop had hatched a simple plan – but they didn’t count on one maverick parrot.

For when they swooped in the early hours, the feathers flew and it was their blood left on the walls.

After ripping out the burglar alarm, the raiders spotted Jack in his cage and foolishly tried to make off with him. It was an elementary mistake.

For not only did they get pecked and scratched to pieces, they left their own DNA on pieces of torn clothing.

Police also found a trail of blood from the thieves and feathers from Jack leading to the back door where they had made their escape.

Officers believe the clawed crusader panicked and went on the offensive as they opened his cage.

What the crooks didn’t realise is that Jack, a sun conure, has mastered a few trades – such as self-defence and security work.

Caroline Hobday, 49, who runs Hobday’s Pet Shop in Coventry with her husband Andrew, 52, said: ‘We couldn’t believe it when we got into work in the morning.

‘There was blood all over the shop and Jack was perched on top of his cage squawking like mad.

‘All the evidence looks like he scared the thieves away and spent the rest of the night patrolling and protecting the other animals like a guard dog.

‘Jack is a feisty young bird and is fiercely protective over the other birds in the shop. We often let him fly around for exercise so he knows his way around. We’ve very proud of him, without his actions we would have lost thousands of pounds more animals.’

The thieves, who stole three corn snakes worth £300 and a £250 Rosella parrot, also killed some fish.

Police will examine the blood at the scene in an effort to find the culprits.