MYSTERY surrounds how several dead pheasants came to be found hanging in the trees near a toxic lagoon.

The Llwyneinion acid tar lagoon is a known health and safe hazard and therefore has been closed off for decades but the costs to clean it are prohibitive.

While some residents initially suspected the hanging birds may have been the work of the occult, a more sensible explanation has been offered in the form of poachers throwing their haul into the closed off area to collect later.

Cllr Paul Pemberton, who has campaigned for the clean-up of Llwyneinion lagoon for several years, said: “Over the weekend I fielded several calls and emails from concerned residents about pheasants hanging in the trees.

“I was sent in photos of the birds hanging and it looked like they’ve been tied there. I thought, what the hell’s going on, because where they were is quite a large drop.

The Leader:

“The rural crime team had a look and it looks like someone’s been poaching pheasants and to get rid of them they’ve thrown them over the fence.

“There’s dozens of birds, but I feel a bit better that no-one’s actually been in there.

“There must but 20 to 30 pheasants thrown in though, tied together like a brace you’d find in the butchers. They’ve obviously been thrown in and some have been caught in the trees.

“People were emailing me asking if it was witchcraft or the devil, although I don’t think that’s the case.

“There’s a fence all round the site because if someone falls in, they’re not getting back out.”

The Leader: