A barn owl has been rescued and returned to the wild by the RSPCA after becoming trapped in an abandoned farmhouse in a Macclesfield parish.

It's thought the bird of prey had fallen down a chimney at the disused property in Lower Withington, Macclesfield which has stood empty for many years.

Walkers alerted the RSPCA after seeing the owl hit an upstairs window as she flew around inside the building.

With the help of the landowner and a local farmer, RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Benedict Marshall was able to gain access and found her perched in a fireplace in one of the bedrooms. 

The owl on the windowsil of the empty home.

An old bed sheet from the officer's van was used to catch the owl, who was then taken to Lower Moss Wood Nature Reserve & Wildlife Hospital where she was examined and found to be uninjured.

"The farmhouse is secure, even though it hasn't been lived in for years, so I can't think of any other way she could have got in, other than down the chimney, especially as we found material in the hearth which looked like it had been dislodged," said Benedict.

"We don't know how long she'd been trapped inside and it was lucky she was seen at the window as it's a fairly quiet area with not many people passing by. 

"She was easy to catch and I checked her wings and legs for any immediate signs of injury before she was given a more thorough examination at Lower Moss. We're really grateful for their help and expertise and for the assistance given by the landowner and local farmer to help us get into the property as quickly as possible."

No signs of a nest were found in the farmhouse, implying it was trapped.

With the permission of the landowner the barn owl was released at dusk in the same location and flew straight to a neighbouring barn (pictured below) where she's been sighted on previous occasions. 

The inside of the farmhouse was also thoroughly checked for any signs of a nest but nothing was found. 

It's the first barn owl rescue Benedict has carried out on his own since completing his training with the animal welfare charity in March.

Information and advice about how the public can help sick and injured wildlife is available on the RSPCA's website.

Fingers crossed the owl is having a 'hoot' with its newfound freedom. (Image - RSPCA Macclesfield)

This year, the RSPCA hopes to inspire one million acts of kindness for animals to celebrate its 200th anniversary. To find out more visit rspca.org.uk/everykind.