Mark Hatch Sammy the macaw and owner Roseann Yates

BOLTON tree surgeon Mark Hatch turned pet detective after scaling the heights to bring a flyaway fugitive back down to earth.

Mark, of Kenwood Road, Smithills, could not believe his ears when he received a desperate weekend call from Sammy the macaw's worried owners.

The 18-month old blue and gold bird had been giving Roseann and Graham Yates the runaround for three days after escaping from their Clough Fold, Stoneclough, home through an open door.

"Unfortunately it was so warm she just took off," said Roseann. "When I saw her rising above the houses I was in a panic."

The couple tracked Sammy to trees in Ringley Road Conservative Club car park and then to trees in a nearby wood.

But when they tried to reach her the couple disturbed a wasps' nest and ended up being badly stung.

Sammy flew off again and this time they lost track of her.

"We haven't got children so our birds are our life," said a distraught Roseann, who also has two other parrots and several budgies.

The couple spent hours plastering the area with posters appealing for help tracing Sammy, and making radio announcements.

Eventually they got a call to say the bird had been spotted miles from their home up a 50ft ash tree in Holcombe Crescent, Kearsley.

Efforts to reach Sammy all failed.

Roseann added: "She desperately wanted to get to us but she couldn't find her way down.

"She was dirty, bedraggled and making a whimpering noise."

In desperation, Roseann found tree surgeon Mark Hatch in the phone book and, unruffled by the request, he set out on the most unusual job of his eight-year career.

Mark scaled the tree and tried to entice Sammy to him with grapes before grabbing the bird, who ungratefully sank her beak into his finger.

Roseann said: "She lashed out and I heard the crunch as she bit down the bone."

But despite the pain Mark clung on and climbed back down the tree, determined that Sammy, who shares the same name as his daughter, should not escape again.

Mark said: "The further down I was getting the tighter she was biting. It did hurt slightly."

Sammy is now safely back at home recovering from her ordeal but still bearing the blood from Mark's finger on her feathers.

"Mark is just a hero," said Roseann. "I don't think Sammy will be going through any open doors again."