A property developer who was taking out an old fireplace as part of his latest renovation project was left gobsmacked when he unveiled something hidden behind the feature
Old homes are often full of period features, and sometimes, renovation projects to modernise these properties can uncover a whole host of secrets about the people who used to live there. People have found letters under floorboards or old tins hiding in attics, and you would never know any of it was there unless you tried renovating the house.
One man recently got the shock of his life when he was removing an old fireplace from a home he was remodelling, as he found something lurking behind the wall that shouldn’t have been there. Liam Grover describes himself as a property entrepreneur and posted a video of himself on Instagram while he was in the process of doing up his latest house.
In the video, Liam can be seen trying to remove the metal covering and grate that had been placed over the fireplace. He struggles for a little while, but is then able to get a small knife under the metal and push it up so that the grate falls away and the plate can soon come with it.
With the covering removed, the inside of the fireplace could be seen, but there was something inside that shouldn’t have been there.
Instead of stumbling across old letters or secret treasures from the previous homeowners, Liam found something much more shocking – a pigeon. The bird sauntered its way out of the fireplace and into the property, leaving Liam gobsmacked.
The property developer scooped the pigeon up in his arms and carried it out the front door, where he set it down on his car roof and allowed it to fly away safely.
He captioned the video: “Always important to know who to call in every scenario … still not sure who I could have called for this one.”
Commenters on the video were equally gobsmacked by the sight of the pigeon in the fireplace. Many questioned how long it had been stuck there, while others simply thanked Liam for setting it free.
One person said: “A wood pigeon! Thank you for helping that little sweetheart! I love pigeons.”
Another added: “Neighbours were probably very confused watching you walking out of your house with a pigeon.”
A third wrote: “Thank you for not throwing the bird. I hate when people do that! Let the poor bird recover and fly when they’re ready.”
What to do if there’s a pigeon in your chimney
It’s not uncommon for birds to become trapped in difficult places, such as a chimney, behind a bricked-up fireplace, or even in a cavity wall. According to the RSPCA, if you find an adult bird trapped in your chimney, you can remove it and release it during the day – providing it isn’t injured.
They state: “Birds that have come down a chimney will navigate to the nearest, brightest light source. For this reason, it’s advisable to provide only one exit point to avoid confusing the bird by closing all but one window or external door, turning the lights off and drawing curtains over all the other closed windows.
“If you discover a bird trapped in a chimney, you can help by opening all the windows and any external doors in the room. Pull any curtains all the way back and then leave the room and monitor the situation for two hours.”
Do not remove the bird if they:
- Appear dazed (which is quite likely)
- Have been trapped in the chimney for a number of hours
- Appear to be injured (for example, they have a damaged wing or soot in their eyes)
- Seem to be young (a partly feathered nestling or fledgling that is found in the spring or summer)
For further advice, you can report a concern on the RSPCA website or by calling 0300 1234 999.
