Bespoke bird boots are being used to aid the recovery of a feathered friend who was hit by a car.

The whitethroat was brought to Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital in Kibworth Beauchamp on Saturday after being stunned in the collision.

Staff said they noticed its feet had curled up, possibly due to nerve or ligament damage, making it unable to grip.

To help its recovery, the tiny sandal-style footwear was made out of cardboard, cotton wool and micropore tape.

Amy Blower, an animal care team leader, said: "We have used this technique before with other baby birds.

"We put a little bit of cotton wool between the feet and the cardboard to add a bit of cushioning.

"Since there doesn't seem to be anything else wrong, the bird will probably be released in a couple of days."

Blower said it was unusual to have a whitethroat brought to the hospital.

"They migrate from Africa, so they are only around in the summer," she said.

"They are also amber-listed, meaning their numbers are declining, so it's good to get this one back into the wild."

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