Man Utd-hating parrot stolen

2007-05-18 15:54

London - British police are hunting a blue-throated Amazon parrot called Chelsea who screeches when anyone mentions Manchester United, stolen from its owner's garden this week.

The family pet, which is tame and able to tell people its name, was taken from a home in the English Midlands on Tuesday night, apparently after having been bundled into a towel stolen from the washing line.

"I think it was stolen to order. I don't think someone would just steal a parrot for a pet," its owner Richard Threadgold said, confirming that the bird emits a "high-pitched screech" when Manchester United is mentioned.

"We are avid Chelsea fans, that's how he got the name, and my son used to taunt it by saying 'Manchester United' at it every time he went past the cage," leading it to develop the unusual reaction, he said.

The family bought the bird five years ago for 600 pounds, and is considering offering a reward if no progress is made in finding it within the next few days, he said.

Police confirmed in a statement that the bird had been stolen sometime overnight on Tuesday, adding that the family's car had also been broken into.

Threadgold said he hopes Chelsea's football-related verbal quirk will help detectives identify the bird - and dismissed any suggestion that the thieves stole it because of its team affiliation.

"I don't think they would pinch our parrot just because of its banter," he said.

The parrot-hunt emerged on the eve of Saturday's FA Cup final between Manchester United and Chelsea at the rebuilt Wembley stadium in London.

- AFP