WWII carrier pigeon message discovered in Surrey (UK) chimney

Government code-breakers are working on deciphering a message that has remained a secret for 70 years.

It was found on the remains of a carrier pigeon that was discovered in a chimney, in Surrey, having been there for decades.

It is thought the contents of the note, once decoded, could provide fresh information from World War II.
John Maguire reports.

David Martin was renovating his house in southern England when found a carrier pigeon skeleton in his fireplace with a barrel attached to the leg, believed to contain a secret message dating back to World War Two.The message is so secret that it is written in code long since forgotten by the security services.

Now the Government Communications Headquarter (GCHQ) in Cheltenham, Glos, is hoping to decipher the note in a bid to unravel the mystery.

The Royal Pigeon Racing Association believe the bird probably either got lost, disorientated in bad weather, or was simply exhausted after its trip across the Channel.