MALMESBURY'S own expert bird whisperer has come to the rescue to lure down invading pigeons who make themselves at home high above the nave of the abbey.

The town's popular odd-jobman Henry Wheeler, of Parklands, a retired labourer, is a member of the congregation, and shows visitors around the historic building.

But in the last two months it is his remarkable communicating skills with birds that have been called upon repeatedly as more and more pigeons make a nuisance of themselves.

Mr Wheeler said: "It's happened about ten or 12 times and each time I make a noise just like a bird and the pigeon comes flying down and out the door."

He believes it is two or three birds making a nuisance of themselves.

Mr Wheeler, who started helping out in the abbey grounds 16 years ago when his father Ernest died, is regularly seen out in his red jumper and red hat.

He said the birds do not recognise him unless he's in his regular clothes.

"I love the pigeons and they love me. They always know me if I come in and have my best suit on."

David Barton, who is in charge of the bookshop at Malmesbury Abbey, said he has called Mr Wheeler two or three times in the past couple of weeks when a pigeon has flown in.

"I give him a call whenever one of the pigeons flies in," said Mr Barton.

"The birds perch on the ledges in the main part of the abbey and other parts of the ceiling. Henry can literally talk them down and it is lovely watching him do it."

Mr Wheeler has his own theory on why the pigeons frequent the abbey.

He thinks the birds nest on the roof.

"They only come into the abbey, and nobody else has asked me to call them down from anywhere else," he said.

But it is not just pigeons who respond to the call of the birdman.

Mr Wheeler does many odd jobs around Malmesbury to help elderly people, and is now also known in the town as the king of the jackdaws.

In between his bird duties Mr Wheeler gives tours of the abbey between 12pm and 6pm every Sunday, and looks after the gardens around the church. He also devotes much of his time doing odd-jobs for local people.

On Monday, Mr Wheeler collects paper and bottles from elderly people in Parklands to take down to the paper and bottle bank in Station Yard, Malmesbury.

Tuesday is devoted to odd jobs and on Wednesday he takes his wheelbarrow to White Lion Park and then on to the bottle and paper banks.

On Friday he spends his day helping out at Malmesbury Abbey. "I call myself the king of the jackdaws and I have a red hat, and everyone knows me as the man in red," he said.