It's not everyone who brings their pet to work, especially when the animal in question is a bird of prey.

But when Phil Turner arrives at Haworth Station for a day's labour it is not uncommon to see him carrying one of his falcons or hawks under his arm as well as his lunch box. When he is not getting his hands dirty keeping Keighley and Worth Valley Railway's historic trains on track, Phil can be found flying any one of his hawks along the Worth Valley.

And thanks to the nature of his job, the 34-year-old steam loco fitter has been able to spread his wings and turn his hobby since the age of ten into a part-time profession. He has set up a display team, Marsh Falconry, with fellow enthusiast Liam Hay.

Phil said: "I used to be a charge hand at a coppersmiths but I came to work here three years ago because it gave me more time to fly my birds.

"I try to fly my birds six days out of seven, and this job is perfect because it allows me the time and space to do that.

"When I first started here I brought a Kestrel and one of the people here used to Kestrel-sit for me. Over the years the birds have become part of the team here.

"They are a great set of lads here who enjoy having the birds around and have become used to them now -- it's like someone walking a dog down the street.

"We named the display team after Marsh, in Oxenhope, because we wanted a local name that also gave it a bit of mystique."

When the Keighley News visited Phil he had Harris hawk Bailey and peregrine falcon hybrid Humphrey, both eight-month-old males, perched next to the track.

"I usually bring Bailey three days a week and I actually fly him around here and take him along the branch line so he can stretch his wings," added Phil.

"They are tethered and the reason for that is to keep them obedient. There is a misconception that they fly around all day when they are in the wild, but for most of the time they are stationary and only tend to move when they are hunting food."

Phil and Liam will be staging displays at a number of events this year, including Silsden Carnival and Skipton Gala. They are awaiting confirmation for Keighley Show.

For more information about Marsh Falconry, contact Phil Turner on 01274 884129 or log on to the web site at www.marshfalconry.co.uk