A police inspector has revealed how he was duped by a blackbird mimicking the sound of a police siren at Thames Valley Police's Bicester station in Oxfordshire. Inspector Simon Hills told the BBC that the two-tone impression initially led officers to believe a car was faulty.
After investigating the persistent sound, officers discovered the culprit was a male blackbird perched in a tree. Insp Hills said: 'I sat at my desk after a weekend off and in the distance I could hear the faint sound of what sounded like a police siren... I came outside and looked up into the trees and I could see the bird... clearly mimicking the sirens in a really professional way.'
The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust explained that the bird was likely trying to attract a mate and warn off other males. Phil Bruss from the trust said: 'It's trying to advertise its fitness to a mate... and also trying to warn other males out of its territory.'
When asked if the bird should be arrested for impersonating a police car, Insp Hills joked: 'If it starts to put a uniform on and use some of its policing powers then we might have to look at it.' Social media users also quipped, asking if the bird was part of 'special branch' or the 'flying squad'.
