Cheshire East Council apology for Timbersbrook bird deaths
A council has apologised to the owner of an animal park after a cockerel and five chicks it had seized were killed by a stoat while in its care.
Last month, Cheshire East Council seized stock and demolished buildings at the Timbersbrook Project, a children's animal park near Congleton.
The council said it took action against owner Leo Deen because the project did not have planning permission.
A spokesman for the council said it had offered to replace the poultry.
The council has since returned the rest of the livestock but said the seizure and demolitions were justified because at no point had planning permission been given for the animal park.
Councillor Rachel Bailey said: "It's very unfortunate that the cockerel and chicks should be lost, possibly to a stoat, but unfortunately that's life - one can't always plan against the rules of nature."
Mr Deen said that when the animals and birds were returned to him some were in a "very bad state" and others were missing.
"We found out that we had a Polish cockerel and five Polish chicks that weren't there," he said.
The council said it would meet with Mr Deen so that he could choose replacement stock.