By Alan Irving

Last updated 15:56, Wednesday, 07 May 2008

THERE is a hue and cry over Barney the Goose whose whereabouts are a mystery since his banishment from Whitehaven harbour for bad behaviour.

Just the bill: Barney the goose in his new home

Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners who made the controversial decision have had Barney moved to what they say is a safe but secret location in the area.

They also say he is more than happy in his new home.

But Knoxwood, the Cumbrian wildlife centre which was responsible for mending Barney’s broken leg after he was attacked by a dog, is demanding that the goose is returned to them for safe keeping.

George Scott, who runs the Wigton centre, said: “All they’ve done is probably sound his death knell.

“I am totally livid that Barney was moved without our knowledge – we’re the ones who took him in after he was savaged by a dog on the harbour. We fixed his leg and agreed to return him to the harbour by public demand, he was so popular, but we did so reluctantly because we didn’t want to risk him being put in danger again. Had we known what was going to happen we would never have allowed him to go back.

“I am sure there will be public demand for him to be returned to Knoxwood where people who have an affection for Barney can come and visit him.

“He needs to be back here so we can keep an eye on him and make sure he is not put into any more harm’s way. You might call this a wild goose chase, but it’s not really because Barney is more of a domestic goose, he has been virtually hand-fed and hand-reared. He won’t survive for long in the wild: remember this is a goose with metal in his leg and could fall prey to any predator. He wouldn’t know a fox if he saw one.

“We don’t know where Barney is and haven’t been told,we’ve have searched Mockerkin Tarn where he was supposed to have been shifted but was no sign.”

So where is he? The chairman of the Harbour Commissioners, Gordon Thomson, has so far refused to say.

Asked whether Barney would be returned to Knoxwood, he said: “No.”

Mr Thomson explained: “ We feel it would not be a responsible thing to do, bearing in mind that this is a dangerous, feral goose and that if he was at the wildlife centre the public, especially children, would have access to him. We do not want to take that risk.

“It was the Board of the Harbour Commissioners who took the decision and on their behalf I was asked to make alternative arrangements. In the event, Barney did not go to Mockerkin but somewhere else in the Whitehaven area where he has the use of a pond on a private smallholding and the company of two other geese.

“Barney is being hand-fed by couple who have the same ideals of animal welfare as George Scott. They will be monitoring his progress closely and I will be stopping by periodically to do the same.

“What we have done is in best interests of Barney the goose.

“He is being extremely well looked after and happy. We are also happy with his situation.”

Mr Scott said: “When you consider all the care we gave to Barney to repair his broken leg and return him to good health, also all the sick and injured birds we have tended at Whitehaven Harbour I don’t think we are asking too much.”