Hawk attacks jogger and kills pet

The bird was photographed as it perched in a tree in a back garden

A hawk is terrorising residents in a Staffordshire town.

In two separate attacks, the bird of prey flew from woods and plunged its talons into its victims as they were out jogging in Lichfield.

It was later seen in a back garden where it killed a cat. Jogger Dianne Jackson-Bond said the Harris Hawk swooped on her twice and cut her head.

Expert John Akerman said it had escaped from captivity and was not deliberately attacking, but looking for food.

I heard a 'whoosh' behind me and never thought much of it and as I continued running it came right down on my head Dianne Jackson-Bond

Mr Akerman, who is going to attempt to capture the bird, said they were easy to acquire in the UK as no laws existed about keeping them. They cost between £150 and £250.

He told BBC News: "What it is doing is flying to them for food, not attacking them, and then going back up to a tree.

"They are pack hunters and very sociable birds so we will bring a few hawks and hopefully it will join them."

Bleeding head

Victim Ms Jackson-Bond said she heard the bird before it swooped on her.

"I looked up to the sky and saw a bird of prey and it was so close.

"I heard a 'whoosh' behind me and never thought much of it and as I continued running it came right down on my head.

"It made my head bleed and as I carried on running again it came down on me a second time."

In June, a buzzard injured a jogger in a country lane in Shropshire.

Harris Hawks are native to central areas in South America and have been flown in Britain since the 1960s.