Pigeon fancier Len Richardson has gone into flights of fancy over a decision to keep a bird recovery service going.

For Mr Richardson, a pigeon fancier for 50 years, has been told that Amtrak Express Parcels' Homing Express service is not going to be scrapped even though the firm has stopped carrying other livestock.

Mr Richardson, 60, of Buttershaw, Bradford, has been a regular user of the Homing Express service which delivers 7,000 racing pigeons a month back to their owners when they get lost in a race or in training sessions.

And he is full of praise for staff at the Amtrak depot at the Fieldhead Business Park in Listerhills, Bradford, which itself recovers 240 birds a month lost in the area.

He said: "We have always had good results from Amtrak and it provides a top service. It would be disastrous if it stopped providing the service because it is worth every penny."

Mr Richardson is a member of the Bradford South Road Flying Club, which has its headquarters at the Black Bull in Clayton.

His pigeons have been known to race from far-flung destinations such as Nantes in France - a 450 mile long haul. He said the club was also wanting to attract more members as its numbers had dropped due to the deaths of older members.

The firm was considering scrapping the service after more than ten years of bird recovery across the UK. It picks up pigeons which are reported missing to the Royal Pigeon Racing Association.

Mel Wright, depot manager at Bradford's Amtrak branch, said: "We use special pigeon boxes to transport the birds back to their owners using our network of branches. The pigeons are identified by a phone number printed on one of their wings or a ring on their feet."

Amtrak's 120 depots are all involved in providing the Homing Express service.

Peter Bryant, the Royal Pigeon Racing Association's general manager said the organisation received 30,000 calls a year from members of the public who have found pigeons bearing its numbered rings.

He said: "Homing Express is invaluable because it helps to get beloved pigeons back to our 48,000 members."

For further information about the South Bradford Road Flying Club contact Mr Richardson on (01274) 608592.

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