Police had to be called to a Shell petrol station after more than 15 chickens were spotted roaming around the premises in the early hours of the morning.
Warren Gibbard, 42, told StokeOnTrentLive that he was in disbelief after spotting the flock of feral chickens at 4.30am one morning at the garage on the A500 near Crewe, Cheshire.
“They were hanging around where you checked your tire pressure and filled up your water. They hang out in the hedges as the day gets busier,” he said.
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The chickens were pictured sleeping in nearby trees to avoid getting mauled by foxes that live in the area.
(Image: Warren Gibbard)
“You opened your door and the stink and the smell was like a chicken hutch which had never been cleaned,” Warren added.
Warren, a medical student from Newcastle-under-Lyme, said that the chickens posed a more serious public health threat than most realised.
He explained: “I’ve seen patients with chest problems and dying from chest illnesses and respiratory distress. It is quite a serious killer of people.”
Currently, there is a mandatory order to keep all poultry in England indoors to prevent the spread of avian flu, though the order does not apply to wild birds.
(Image: Warren Gibbard)
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The government says that there have so far been 168 cases of avian flu in the UK, with the vast majority cropping up in England.
Cheshire East Council were called to the petrol station after receiving complaints about the chickens, and assessed that despite the fact that workers at the garage provided the chickens with food and water, they were in fact wild.
A spokesperson for the council said that area has now been cleaned up.
Shell told StokeOnTrentLive that it contacted a local animal sanctuary to relocate the chickens and give them a home.
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