Published: Thursday, 6th March, 2008 10:36am

Stray birds put Tesco in flap

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BIRD BATTLE: Bosses at the Tesco Extra store in Greenock have called in experts after sparrows sparked a health scare.

GREENOCK"S Tesco is under investigation by environmental health officers after wild birds capable of carrying potentially-lethal diseases were spotted in the store.

Sparrows - which have been known to spread salmonella poisoning and West Nile virus, which can be fatal - have been spotted perched just metres from the store"s deli counter.

The birds are entering through the shop"s newly-refurbished entrance.

A member of the public photographed one cheeky chick as it perched on a sign in the sauce aisle.

Inverclyde Council"s environmental health department is now launching a full investigation.

A spokesman for the council said: 'We have received no complaints on this matter and this is just being brought to our attention.

'We will now take forward a full investigation.'

Sparrows have been known to carry the bacterial infection salmonellosis and to spread West Nile virus.

The virus, which originated in Africa in the 1930s, causes fever, skin rashes, severe aches and meningitis.

Cases of the disease have been known in France and Romania and, in 2000, scientists found the virus was active in European house sparrows. A spokesman for Tesco said: 'Staff have tried to use netting to catch the birds but they can"t get them.

'We are going to be working with an outside contractor to deal with the birds.'

Asked if there was any concern over food hygiene, the spokesman said: 'Most of the food is packaged already, but extra measures will be taken with open food.'

Sparrows are protected by law, like all wild birds in the UK.

They have suffered from a declining population over the last two decades and are currently classed as a threatened species by the RSPB.