A bird that got caught up in fishing litter and was left dangling from a tree has been successfully rescued by the RSPCA.

The jay was spotted hanging from the tree over the Basingstoke Canal in Woking on Friday, April 12.

RSPCA Inspector Jo Bowling worked with the canal lock keeper to cut the poor bird down.

She took him to Wildlife Aid for a vet check-up and recovery. She said: “There's a really nasty fishing hook that has unfortunately gone all the way through the bird’s top beak. It looks like the bird thought the lure was a real fish.

"I'm grateful to the support of the canal lock keeper in what is another example of what we can achieve together for animal welfare.

“The wounds look superficial, so I took him to Wildlife Aid in the hope he can be treated and released back into the wild.”

While most anglers are responsible, it only takes one careless person to endanger the life of an animal by not disposing of fishing litter. The RSPCA urges all anglers to follow the Angling Trust’s Take 5 campaign and make use of the recycling scheme to dispose of waste tackle and line.

The RSPCA has launched a new campaign For Every Kind, urging people to care about the lives of every animal and carry out one million acts of kindness for animals to mark its 200th anniversary. To find out your kind of kindness and turn it into action for animals visit: rspca.org.uk/everykind.