Man 'threatens to hang himself from bridge to annoy police he blamed for death of his parrot'

Allan Clarke, 54, was reportedly spared jail after pleading guilty for wasting police time and causing damage to other road users.

Clarke blamed local police for the death of his pet parrot (Getty)

A man who blamed the police for the death of his pet parrot reportedly threatened to hang himself from a bridge in revenge.

According to reports in the Liverpool Echo, 54-year-old Allan Clarke claimed during a police interview that his parrot had recently died when police moved it from his home following his arrest for a driving offence.

The court heard how police were forced to close a section of a road after Mr Clarke was seen by witnesses sitting on the edge of a bridge with a cord wrapped around his neck.

Mr Clarke admitted to the court that he had no intention of self-harm but said he felt he had to do something that “looked good”.

He was spared a jail sentence at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to causing damage to other road users and wasting police time. He was ordered to pay a criminal court charge - £85 in prosecution costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Andrew Shaw, the district judge, said: “There’s a certain irony in blaming other people for causing you great distress then standing on a motorway bridge with a rope around your neck in full view of the public, who must have found that traumatic.”