Tormenting hawk is captured after repeatedly attacking villagers

A Harris's hawk that has been repeatedly attacking villagers has been captured by a resident with the same name.

Steve Harris, 40, told the BBC he had managed to humanely catch the hawk in his garden in Flamstead, Hertfordshire.

It is estimated that the bird of prey had swooped on at least 50 people since early March, drawing blood from several victims.

"It's a relief for us and the whole village," said Mr Harris, whose children had been unable to use the back garden after the hawk took up residence in one of their trees.

"Every morning, we wake up and see it up in the tree, getting braver and braver.

"I've been working from home watching it, thinking we've got to get this bird gone."

Mr Harris said he acted spontaneously to capture the bird on Thursday morning.

"It had been chasing me around the village when I went for a run, and when I got back it flew down to the top of my shed.

"The falconer had left me a cage. I was using it to protect myself and I got brave enough when the bird was about a foot away, and I threw it over the top of it, trapping it.

"I screamed out for the falconer to come and help, and he came and tamed it."

Alan Greenhalgh from the area helped Mr Harris trap the bird and told BBC Radio 4 he saw it "terrorising two or three people".

"Steve came running out of his garden, 'Quick, quick, quick, I think I've got it'," he explained.

"I ran into Steve's garden and the bird was having a go at him again... we managed to get hold of it before it got loose and luckily otherwise we would have been back to square one."

He added the bird was "as fat as a barrel" after villages had attempted to catch it with food over the weeks.

The hawk had been wreaking havoc in the village, which is on the edge of the Chiltern hills, even holding up the postal service.

Jim Hewitt was taken to hospital covered in blood after he felt a "smack" on the back of his head while walking to the shop.

The 75-year-old said he was "delighted" the hawk had been caught, and had vowed: "I won't get beaten by a poxy bird."

Mr Harris said the situation had started to become dangerous.

"I got whacked over the head yesterday trying to get into my car... it was getting to the stage where it was attacking people with consistency."