A JACKDAW ensnared by a discarded fishing line to a tree behind the Highways England depot at Crooklands, near Kendal, was freed by the site electrician.

He was alerted by local resident Mike Glover who spotted the distressed jackdaw spiralling from the line wrapped round its foot in an unsuccessful attempt to free itself.

The contractor gave up his lunch break to scale a seven foot security fence and spent 20 minutes patiently untangling the bird by cutting through dozens of layers of twisted wire.

His operation was successful and finally the bird flew up into the surrounding canopy.

The contractor said the line had probably been cast from the towpath across the canal and become caught in the branches of the tree on the bank behind the depot.

Mike said: “He did a fantastic job. Without his intervention the bird would have had a long, miserable and painful death. I hope anglers on the canal take heed and make sure they don’t endanger wildlife by leaving their tackle abandoned in this way.”