Portsmouth comedian 'chuffed to bits' and was screaming with delight as she rescued her pet pigeon when he flew down from the roof of Drift Bar

Shannon Griffiths was searching far and wide for her beloved bird, Wayne, after he went missing four days ago.

He was spotted several times on Palmerston Road and perched on the roof of Drift Bar, with Ms Griffiths being seen by residents running down the street and shouting his name – pleading with her feathered friend to come down.

Thankfully, she managed to catch Wayne in her coat on Thursday, and he is home safe and sound.

The comedian was ecstatic to finally be reunited with him.

She told The News:‘I’m chuffed to bits.

‘I don’t think any drug could make you feel as good as how I feel right now.

‘I was screaming, it looked like I was chuckling like a mad villain or something.’

Ms Griffiths has owned Wayne for four months, after receiving him as a gift from a pigeon breeder.

She and her boyfriend, Jim Pedlow, took Wayne to Ashby car park in Southsea to acclimatise him to the outdoors.

This was the third time the pigeon was taken to the car park, so Ms Griffiths thought it would be safe.

After seeing a flock of birds, Wayne flew high into the sky and would not come back down.

Ms Griffiths and her friends frantically spread the word about her pet’s disappearance through social media and missing posters.

During the week, the bird was spotted on Palmerston Road, and above Drift Bar and Scarlet Tap.

Whenever she heard of a sighting, Shannon would run out onto the street, yelling Wayne’s name and getting strange looks from passersby.

She said: ‘I was running outside all the time shouting his name, then people would ask what I was doing.

‘I was shouting Wayne down Palmerston Road every other hour.

‘I’d say to people I was shouting at this pigeon, and they’d look at me as if I was mental, then I’d have to explain the whole story again.’

Two days ago, the staff at Drift Bar sent a builder to try and coerce the Waynefrom the roof with some seed.

Ms Griffiths was seen on the street pleading for Wayne to come down.

She was determined to bring him home, and said she would have sat there all day and lost her job if she had to.

It was not until Thursday afternoon, at around 1pm, that Wayne was rescued.

After a friend spotted him fly onto the street, the comedian sprinted out her house to try and catch him in her coat.

Following several attempts, Ms Griffiths finally caught him.

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Wayne was taken home, and has made a full recovery after finally being fed after three days – eating for 45 minutes straight.

Ms Griffiths was left devastated by the disappearance, but was delighted to have her pet back.

She said: ‘I was crying my eyes out.

‘I’ve been absolutely distraught, but now I’m really happy that he’s back, it’s all good now, but until then, it was very sad.

‘I didn’t think he was going to come back, because I thought he’d like it outside.

‘I’m just happy he’s home.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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