FOUR grey cockatiels have been stolen from an aviary at Connaught Park in Dover. The thieves carried out their attack on Sunday night using bolt croppers to force their way in.

The woman who looks after the birds has warned that they will probably die if they are sold as tame birds in a cage.

Janet Blain, who works for English Landscapes and looks after the aviary on behalf of Dover District Council, said: “It wasn’t just vandalism. The thieves knew what they were doing and what they were taking.

“These birds are not tame. They are aviary birds. They will not be happy being cooped up. If the thieves try to sell them as tame birds in a cage, they will end up being traumatised and die.

“If they took them for breeding, or try to sell them for breeding, they will be disappointed, too. They were all males.”

A couple of them are 12 or 13 years old and are thought to have been in the aviary at Connaught Park all their lives.

All four were identical, apart from one being “fluffier” than the others because of a condition it was suffering from.

Anyone who has any information about the theft, or who has been offered grey cockatiels for sale, is asked to contact the police on Dover (01304) 240055, Dover District Council on Dover 821199, or English Landscapes on 07711 742297.