200 starlings drop dead from the sky in Welsh village

Wildlife lovers are calling for autopsies after 200 starlings mysteriously dropped dead from the sky in a seaside village - after fears the flock could have been killed by a gas cloud.

Ornithologists fear the birds could have killed by gas from a nearby refinery before they fell to the ground 'like a horror film'.

The mysterious deaths happened earlier this month near the villages of Waterston and Hazelbeach, Pembrokeshire, and close to the Dragon LNG gas refinery.

A spokeswoman for Dragon LNG said: 'It's in the vicinity but it's normal operations at Dragon LNG. There was nothing different at the plant.'

Tests on the birds are set to be carried out by officials but the results may not be known for some time.

A Pembrokeshire Council spokesperson said: 'Officers attended the site and there were around 200 starlings found dead on the road.

'The authority undertook a clean-up and removed the dead birds from site. There is no clear indication as to the cause of these deaths. We have reported the incident to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.'