A CHICKEN from Newquay has been named the UK's most 'beauti-fowl' hen – despite a grooming regime that consists solely of baths in Fairy Liquid.
The black mottled pekin, known simply as 'Hen' and owned by poultry fancier Clive Stephens, won the Show Champion cup at the 2013 National Poultry Show in Warwickshire.
Mr Stephens, 62, has been trying his c-luck at the event since 1972 but this is the first time one of his birds bagged the top prize.
He said he'd developed a foolproof beauty regime for pristine plumage; Fairy Liquid for dark-coloured birds and Dove Body Wash for lighter ones.
The grandfather of two, of Hilgrove Road, said: "I've used all sorts over the years; every fancier probably has a different method but this one works for me. Shampooing the black ones with Fairy Liquid seems to give them a perfect sheen, but it's too drastic for the whites, so I use something milder – Dove Body Wash.
"They quite like it. After a bath you feel completely refreshed; it's the same for them."
Mr Stephens said he and wife Margaret were gob-smacked when it was announced last Sunday that Hen had won the show cup.
Their feathery friend had to fend off competition from 6,000 other birds across 180 classes.
Mr Stephens, a retired carpenter, said: "I thought it might take a bit to beat her but getting the top prize was amazing. It's beyond a dream.
"We didn't actually get the cup to take home. It's worth £150,000 so they don't take it out the vault these days. We got a painting of the cup, which is hanging up in the living room."
The couple have around 200 hens during the breeding season, although some breeders boast up to 14,000, according to Mr Stephens, who is thinking of retiring as a fancier this year.
"This seems a good year to bow out on. I can't do any better now," he said.
Mr Stephens admitted Hen was not the most imaginative name for the UK's most glamorous chicken, and challenged readers to think of one. E-mail screswell@c-dm.co.uk with any ideas.
A CAT had to undergo extensive emergency surgery after a gunman shot the pet with an air rifle in St Columb.
The cat was left with "horrific injuries", including a broken leg, after being blasted with the high-powered rifle in the Old Rectory area of the town.
The animal has had to undergo extensive surgery to repair its broken tibia, costing its owner £2,000 in vet's bills.
Police have described the incident as a "callous act" and have since stepped up patrols in the area.
PC Alan Lenton said it was believed the cat had been shot deliberately and information is being sought to help police trace the culprit.
He said: "It looks like somebody deliberately shot the cat.
"The animal has sustained horrific injuries and the incident has been upsetting for all concerned. Fortunately, incidents of this nature are rare."
The cat was shot some time on Saturday, November 16, in the Old Rectory area of St Columb. We have been unable to reach its owners for a comment.
In a separate incident last year, a kitten had to undergo an emergency operation to remove its lung after it was shot at close range with a high-powered airgun in Newquay.
A spokeswoman for Cornwall's RSPCA Centre, in St Columb, said at the time that airgun attacks on pets were becoming increasingly common.
"These weapons are responsible for maiming and killing a lot of animals," she said.
"As well as the animal suffering, it is also extremely disturbing for the owners.
"It is against the law to willfully harm an animal, under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. People can face up to six months in prison or a £20,000 fine."
Anyone with any information on the latest attack in St Columb is being asked to call police on the non-emergency number, 101, quoting reference GC/13/408.
ST BURYAN Parish Council has reconsidered its support for proposed wind turbines at Lamorna following widespread opposition from residents.
Gerald Hayman, who is strongly against the plans, said that at a meeting at the village hall on Monday 60 local residents had turned out to voice their concerns about the application, which if approved would see two 112-feet-high structures being erected.
He said parish councillors were told more than 100 objections had been lodged on Cornwall Council's planning website since submission.
In a statement on Tuesday, the council said: "The proposed turbines will have a detrimental effect on neighbouring listed buildings, scheduled monuments and the wildlife of the area.
"This development will bring no economic benefit to the immediate community."
Mr Hayman said he felt positive that the parish council had reconsidered its stance to reflect locals' views.
"I think it's amazing how much time people have put into this," he said.
"We would have been pretty down if this hadn't come about."
Mr Hayman also stressed there was still a real fear locally that the turbines would adversely affect the nearby Merry Maidens stone circle, which he felt should be given more protection.
Resident Jan Cutler has commissioned a photo featuring scaled images of the turbines to superimposed on the landscape, to indicate the likely visual impact. Cornwall Council is set to make its decision early next month.
