A BARN OWL is safe at home after ruffling a few feathers on Wednesday (June, 4).

Baby owl Nan took to the skies of Darlington after becoming spooked during a display at a nursery in the town.

The 13-week-old bird led her owners a merry chase before she was caught by Darlington woman Christine Colclough, who found her in her garden.

Nan’s owners, Tori and David Goodall – from Walworth Castle’s Bird of Prey centre – spent hours trying to recapture the errant bird before tracking her to Mrs Colclough’s garden.

Mrs Goodall said: “We spent three-and-a-half hours in the rain trying to find her and it was awful.

“Every time we got within a foot of her she would be frightened and fly off again and it was so demoralising.

“We had a radio transmitter attached to her that tracks to within 20 yards and eventually it went off near a fence.

“My husband popped his head over and found this lovely lady holding our owl who must have become so tired she’d given up.

“We are just glad to have the little monkey back and we’re amazed at how supportive everybody was while we were trying to find her.”

Wildlife lover Mrs Colclough said: “I heard the blackbirds going mad in our back garden and thought something must be wrong.

“When I went to look, there she was, wet, bedraggled and looking sad and exhausted.

“I put my arm out to her but when she wouldn’t climb on I just got hold of her.

“She was absolutely beautiful and it was lovely to find her in our garden and be able to hold her like that.”