A former army sergeant who founded a rescue centre for birds of prey in the Black Country has died, aged 65.

Falconer Chris Jones from Quarry Bank lost his long battle with respiratory disease on December 29.

He first decided to dedicate his life to saving abandoned and ill-treated birds when he was serving in Northern Ireland in the 1970s.

After a roadside explosion, he went into a nearby wood to clear debris and came across two baby buzzards by the bodies of their parents which had been killed by the blast.

He made a promise to himself to do something to help stop the unnecessary suffering caused to birds of prey. Two decades later he stayed true to his word by setting up the Midlands Birds of Prey Rescue Centre. He helped to care for injured, sick and abandoned birds nursing them back to health before releasing them.

His partner in the venture of 10 years Pete Collins, aged 58, said Essex-born Mr Jones “lived for birds of prey.”

Mr Collins has now vowed to keep the Quarry Bank-based charity going in memory of Mr Jones. “He was very passionate about the rescue centre and the birds. They were his pride and joy,” he said.

The former engine reconditioner added: “Chris was always very jolly – he had to be because of his illness. He had a great sense of humour. He was a practical joker and he and my grandson Ryan were always playing tricks on each other.” Mr Collin’s daughter Denise Rawlings, 33, of Halesowen also paid tribute to Mr Jones. She said: “Chris did a lot of good work with the rescue centre and will be sadly missed.”

Mr Jones hoped their work would help to combat bird cruelty up and down the country. They regularly took birds on the road across the Midlands, including into schools, to educate people about them.

Mr Jones spent a week on a ventilator in the critical care unit of Wolverhamptons New Cross Hospital suffering from a severe bout of pneumonia after he lost consciousness shortly before Christmas in 2005.

But he battled back to continue his work with rescued birds.

His funeral will be held at Stourbridge Crematorium on January 12 at 2.10pm.