A woman has been left distraught after her beloved pet bird was accidentally sold by a Barnsbury pet shop.

Jen De Selves, 59, who lives in Camden Town, feared the worst when Rainbow, a Fischer’s Love Bird, escaped on August 4.

Then she received a call on Friday (September 2) to say the bird had been found and handed in to Cally Pets, in Caledonian Road.

But her joy was short-lived when she called them up only to find they had kept Rainbow for two weeks, but had sold he on after no one came forward to claim he.

Ms De Selves, a former probation officer who suffered from agoraphobia, said: “They had no right to sell him on – they should have checked on the missing register.

“I was so elated when I thought they had found him, but now I feel sick. I can’t eat and I can’t sleep. I love that little bird, he’s my life. He has got a beautiful personality and I need him to come back to me.

“It’s my birthday in a couple of weeks and that is the best present I could have.”

Lovebirds struggle to feed themselves in the wild, and Rainbow was in a bad way when he was first found after going missing. But, after nursing him back to health, the finders took him to the pet shop where he could be looked after.

Jim Dove, owner of Cally Pets, said: “We got a bird handed in, we kept if for two weeks and no one cam forward to claim it and we sold it last week.

“We believe we know the person who bought it, so we are waiting for them come in again so we can talk to them about it.

He added: “Hopefully, this story will have a happy ending.”