An exotic bird breeder who supplies feathers to fly fishermen across the world has blamed an alleged Environment Agency botch after half his flock was massacred by minks.

Ron Taylor has painstakingly developed his stock of colourful Indian Grey Jungle Fowl in the Worcestershire countryside for the last 30 years, making him the only breeder of his kind.

But he woke last week to find that 86 of his beloved birds had had their aviaries breached and throats slashed in the night by what he believes were minks escaping the heatwave.

He told The Daily Telegraph the semi-aquatic carnivorous have inadvertently been driven onto his land by officials trying to rescue fish on the nearby River Teme, which is running dry in parts following weeks of no rain.

Mr Taylor believes the minks had initially been attracted by the easy-to-catch fish trapped in isolated pools, but that once the fish rescue began they should have been trapped or shot to prevent them roaming elsewhere.