Missing Wimbledon hawk found

The hawk that patrols the skies over Wimbledon has been returned to its owners, after being stolen by thieves last week.

Harris Hawk Rufus, who deters pigeons from the All England Club, was stolen along with his cage overnight between Thursday and Friday. He had been left in a car parked on a private drive in Dunstall Road, with the rear window open for ventilation.

But he is now back home with owner Imogen Davis, after being handed in to the RSPCA Animal Hospital in Putney.

Ms Davis said the four-year-old had a slightly sore leg and would have a few days rest before he started working again. But overall, she said he was "safe and well".

Rufus, reared as part of the family-run business Avian Environmental Consultants, has become a well-known fixture at the All England Club, with visitors often stopping to ask for photos with the hawk.

He is flown each morning and evening of the championships, before and after play, to scare off pigeons.