Animal rescuer awarded huge sum in damages from cops — after being arrested for nicking a chicken

ANIMAL rescuer Edward White has been awarded £10,000 damages from constabulary — who wrongfully arrested him for nicking a chicken.

Edward, 51, took successful the bird, a Light Sussex, aft it was recovered wandering by a road.

He posted a snap online to effort to hint the proprietor lone to find officers knocking astatine his door.

They hauled him disconnected implicit claims helium had stolen the chicken.

But erstwhile the allegation fell isolated and helium was released 4 hours later, officers refused to apologise.

Edward sued and has been awarded the payout with ineligible costs successful a Covid-delayed case.

He said: “It was a gag of an arrest. I was expecting Jeremy Beadle to measurement retired astatine immoderate point.”

Edward has tally an carnal sanctuary with woman Ann-Marie for 10 years successful Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

But it was not capable to person officers of his innocence erstwhile they arrested him successful 2021.

He said: “I told them, ‘It’s what we do. We rescue chickens’.

"But they kept questioning me. I couldn’t support a consecutive face.

"They asked what benignant of chickenhearted it was truthful I said a KFC but with feathers.”

The antheral who recovered the chickenhearted yet confirmed his communicative but Edward has inactive not had an apology.

Cumbria Police declined to comment.