Durham flytipping CCTV camera 'catches the birdie'

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PheasantImage source, Durham County Council
Image caption,

The curious pheasant triggered this selfie at the site

Neighbourhood wardens in County Durham were "pheasantly" surprised to find a criminal caught on CCTV at a flytipping site turned out to be a bird.

The camera was hidden by Durham County Council officers at a well-known site used for illegal waste dumping.

When the camera was triggered, neighbourhood protection manager Ian Hoult found it was not a criminal but a curious pheasant.

He said the team were thankful that no-one had fallen "fowl" of the law.

Launched in November 2014, the Operation Stop It campaign has resulted in a 29% decrease in flytipping in the county.