Parrot alert over Christmas hat

The Scottish SPCA have been called out to rescue an injured parrot in Aberdeen - only to discover it was a Christmas hat.

Scotland's animal welfare charity was alerted on Friday after a lady spotted what looked like a parrot lying in the middle of the road near Tesco Express on Great Western Road.

However, it soon became clear the creature was in fact a colourful hat.

Animal Rescue Officer Karen Hogg said, "It's fair to say the lady who called was mortified when I called her back to tell her it wasn't actually a parrot.

"When she was on her way home from the shops, she thought she saw an injured bird on the road. The hat has green holly which she assumed was the body and a red bobble sticking out which she thought was the parrot's head.

"As the lady was driving at the time she wasn't able to stop and get a good look so called to alert us.

"When I got there it was a nice surprise to find there wasn't an animal in danger and I must admit it gave me a bit of Christmas cheer.

"The hat is now being safely looked after at our centre in Drumoak. If anyone recognises the hat they are welcome to come and collect it.

"Although this incident turned out to be a false alarm, we'd always encourage people to give us a call if they think an animal is in need of help."

Anyone who finds an animal in danger or distress should call the Scottish SPCA's animal helpline on 03000 999 999.