Last updated 16:48, Wednesday, 04 June 2008

PROTESTERS from a Cumbrian wildlife rescue trust plan to hold a peaceful demonstration at Whitehaven Harbour today during the Royal visit.

Placards will say: “Where is Barney?”

Knoxwood volunteers are demanding to know the whereabouts of Barney, one of the harbourside geese who was blamed for attacking an elderly woman.

Some time earlier Barney himself was injured on the harbour by a dog and his broken leg was mended at the Knoxwood wildlife centre where he was cared for and returned to the harbour.

But after the attack on the lady, Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners took the decision in March to banish Barney and later their chairman Gordon Thomson advised “that the goose which was causing concern on the harbour has now been removed and placed in safety away from the general public.”

Mr Thomson confirmed to The Whitehaven News, this week, that first of all he took “the goose” to Wilf Richardson, of Lamplugh, who put it into the care of a couple who were now looking after the gander.

“I am pig in the middle of all this, I don’t know where the bird is myself but I am told he is being well looked after and is happy,” said Mr Thomson.

An Egremont woman, Janette Wynne, last week wrote to the Queen asking Her Majesty to help locate Barney in her capacity as patron of the Royal Society of Birds.

Janette, who was acting as a concerned individual rather than on behalf of Knoxwood, said yesterday: “I have been in touch with Mr Richardson and he has agreed to allow a vet of his choice to go and see Barney so that his leg which contains two metal pins can be examined, x-rayed, which would give us the proof we need that Barney is alive and well.

“But this could not be done before the royal visit as he was going away for some of the time.

“If the matter is resolved by tomorrow (Thursday) then obviously Knoxwood’s protest will not go ahead.”