BOLTON Council has confirmed that it is cleaning a road where a flock of dead birds was found.

Between 20 and 30 dead starlings appeared in Beaumont Road, Ladybridge, near the Britannia Hotel, on Sunday afternoon.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud bang and compared the experience to “a scene from The X-Files”.

One person complained that the birds had not been removed and was apparently told it would be a health hazard to clear the road.

A Bolton Council spokesman said: “Normally we would not remove small dead birds and wildlife from our roads as this would be impractical.

“However, in exceptional circumstances such as this, we would look to assist where we can and we are making arrangements to clean the road.”