A FALCON stolen from the garden of an address in Weyhill in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday has been found dead this morning.

As previously reported by the Advertiser, Dash, a Gyr cross Barbary falcon, and Branston, a Red-naped Shaheen cross Lanner falcon, were taken at around 2.50am on Wednesday morning.

Dash was found near Winton School and safely returned to the owners yesterday but they have taken to social media today to say that Branston has not survived and thanked everyone for their support.

The owners received a phone call this morning from a dog walker in Charlton to say that they had found him dead on the floor and waited with him until the owners arrived.

Police believe they may have been taken because they looked like Peregrine falcons which cannot be sold on without a certificate and all the media attention has made the thieves release them into the wild.

If you have any information about the thefts, contact Hampshire Police on 101.