THESE two French hens must have been looking for their pal as they stumbled among traffic in a town centre car park.

The dazed and confused pair - similar to the three featured in the 12 Days of Christmas song - wandered a hen-rendous path under car wheels in Horn Yard car park, Gravesend, escaping death by inches.

Christmas shoppers looked on in wonder as the pair fell fowl of the parking restrictions. RSPCA workers said they would not send an officer until the birds were caught in a box.

In the end it came to plucky Grahame Cochrane to bring the duo to safety. The step-son of a butcher said he knew exactly how to handle the feather-brained tearaways. "The aim is not to think you're going to hurt them. You have to be quick and you have to aim for their legs," he said moments after their capture.

Both hens were spared the Christmas dinner table however, when a loving home was found with parish councillor Les Pearton in Lower Higham. He said: "This sort of incident is not unusual. People buy them as cute small chicks but then abandon them when they grow and make a bit of a mess.

"These two birds are French hens, but it is hard to determine what type of breed they are. People cross breed birds with so many other types now it is increasingly hard to distinguish them.

"They are settling in really well. I have fed them on a special tonic food and given them lots of special tender loving care. They have already put on weight.

"The car park would have been very distressing for them, but they are quacking away very well now and seem a lot happier."