A St Albans bird-of-prey has bagged employment at a busy London train station.

Five-year-old Aria the Harris Hawk will now be on duty for two hours, twice a week scaring away pigeons from the rafters at London Waterloo.

She was raised in St Albans and can boast a similar post at King’s Cross during her high-flying career.

Network Rail Waterloo area manager Jason Murphy said: “Pigeons can be a real nuisance for people using the station. They also cause a lot of mess which needs cleaning up at some expense. So Aria’s work is really important in making the station a better place for our passengers, while saving us money on our cleaning bills.”

Aria’s handler Max Bell added: “She does a great job and often likes to reward herself with a relaxing bath in the puddles that gather on the rain shelters over the platforms.”