'Terror owl' caught after attacking residents

An aggressive eagle owl nicknamed the "terror owl" after it attacked local residents in a Dutch city has finally been caught.

The owl attacked more than 50 people in Purmerend, north of Amsterdam, in the last year.

According to the Independent, the local council now needs to find a suitable place to release the angry bird after it was given special permission to catch the protected species which posed a threat to residents.

Some victims were taken to hospital and two runners needed stitches after being attacked by the bird.

One man who was attacked, Niels Verkooijen, told Hart van Nederland: "It was like having a brick laced with nails thrown at your head".

Residents and staff at a home for the disabled were also attacked. Spokeswoman Liselotte de Brujin told AFP: "During the day there's no problem, but at night we now only venture outside armed with umbrellas, helmets and hats, anything really, to protect ourselves.

"The problem is that you don't hear the owl before it strikes. Its claws are razor-sharp."

Sky News reports that a Purmerend city council statement read: "The animal was trapped by a falconer.

"It's in good health and is currently being kept in a temporary facility awaiting a transfer once a proper permanent home has been found."