A BOLTON resident was met by an unexpected visitor at his home when a barn owl flew in threw through his window.

Matthew Hales, who lives in the Cotton Works in Astley Bridge, was at home last night when an owl, now known to be called Jessy, flew into his apartment.

The dumbfounded Mr Hales, not knowing what to do, rang his brother Michael, who came round to help.

The brothers then decided to post a picture of the bird on Facebook with a message in a bid to try to reunite the pet bird with its owner, which was shared as far and wide as Australia.

After contacting the Independent Bird Register the brothers were put in contact with the owner, who then came to collect his pet owl, which had been missing since Wednesday.

Matthew Hales said: "It was just unreal.

"Me and my partner were just settling down to watch Britain's Got Talent and then my partner noticed an owl sat on the balcony.

"I just opened the patio door to look and it just flew in and landed on my arm and then I was like 'now what do I do?'

"It was unbelievable.

"We knew it was a pet owl because it had a tag around its foot and we just knew we needed to find its owner.

"I think the owl had flown on to a couple of people's balconies but it's not something you would normally see so close - a barn owl.

"It was about half an hour until the owner came and picked him up so for half an hour I just had this owl following me around the flat.

"It was a beautiful bird.

"I'm just glad we got it back to its owner.

"He seemed chuffed to bits."

A video has now been posted on facebook of the moment Owner Ayub Musa and his pet owl Jessy were reunited which has gone viral.

Owner Ayub Musa, aged 43, from Parkgate Road in Bolton said he and his two children are delighted Jessy is home.

Mr Musa, who also owns a Harris hawk, said: "I am delighted I have got her back.

"She was tied up in the garden and she must have somehow got loose.

"She had been gone since Wednesday and I received a phone call from the Independent Bird Register telling me that the bird had flown in to the Cotton Works in Bolton, which is close to where I live.

"The kids were really worried that we had lost her.

"She was hungry when I went to pick her up because she is a tame owl and isn't able to fend for herself in the wild so she was a bit underweight when I weighed her but she is happy now and doing well."