Wayward bird flies off course

A HOMING pigeon which flew off course during a race between France and Britain was found 3,000 miles away near Niagara Falls.

The wayward bird disappeared in May while flying 200 miles from France to owner Frank Brammer’s house in Gloucester.

But a few weeks later he received a phone call from a woman in Canada who had found the bird.

Brammer said the bird must have hitched a ride with a ship as pigeons can only fly about 500 miles a day.

The woman had found Mr Brammer’s phone number on the plastic ring on the pigeon’s leg when she noticed it was from Britain.