Wayward pigeon returned to Black Country after ending up in Kent

John Greatrex’s pigeon had been released in Frome and was expected to make its way back home to the Leamore area of Walsall.

But it ended up getting lost and was found injured by Ian Hughes in a park in Beckeham, in Kent.

Ian, who grew up in Codsall, near Wolverhampton, managed to track down where the pigeon was from and returned him to John personally.

But sadly, the pigeon died a few days after being reunited by John.

Ian, 36, said: “My partner and I were walking our three-month-old twins in the park and we spotted the pigeon on the side of the road. It was clearly injured and unable to fly. We saw it had a ring on so we took it home.

“We researched what to do and popped it in a box with some water and some seeds, and then contacted the National Carrier Pigeon Society. Being originally from Codsall myself, we were shocked to find out it was from Walsall.

“I contacted John who was delighted that we had found one of his birds.

"He knew which one it was by its identifying number. He had lost four this year. He was astonished to find it was so far off course.

“The next day we were coming up to see family anyway, so we made the detour to drop the pigeon off. He was very thankful.”

John, 79, added: “It had been missing for about two weeks and had not come back – I had sent out about nine pigeons that day and the others had all come back.

“It was number 21034, a black hen. But when Ian brought it back from Kent, it only lasted a day and died.

“It was a real shock when I got the call – you don’t really expect them to go the wrong way. I thought it was magic, I could not believe Ian brought it all the way back.

“There’s some genuine people about. He dropped him off right at my door – it was magic.”