Mindy’s bird’s eye view

Mindy Hammond’s column is a joy to read and her great love of animals warms the heart (“We’re birds of a feather...”, S Magazine, February 28).

I have two pet hens who are also in poultry lockdown and I have added small pond netting over and around their wire netting run – not even the tiniest bird can get through that.

Supermarket plastic bags tied randomly over this make it totally bird-proof.

Hopefully the time will soon come when they can be free range once again.

Maggy Chapman, Kedington, Suffolk

BRONZE: Bradshaw

BRITISH athletics captain Jodie Williams led by example to win her first championship medal for seven years last night.

The one-time child prodigy had not made a podium since 2014 and was new to the 400 metres distance.

But on an otherwise frustrating night for her team, she produced a lifetime best of 51.73secs to take bronze at the European Indoor Championships in Poland.

“I came here to do that, to prove to myself that

I can get on podiums again,” she said. “For me these championships were about overcoming mental barriers. For sure, I have my mojo back.”

Williams’ medal was sandwiched between contrasting fortunes for Britain’s two Hollys.

Holly Bradshaw, favourite for gold in the pole vault, gave up a winning position with three failures at 4.65 metres and had to settle for a share of bronze.

Holly Archer was then disqualified for ‘jostling and obstruction’ after winning silver in a bruising 1500m final. But in a race described as “carnage” by reigning champion Laura Muir, watching from home, Britain successfully appealed the decision and the Cambridge star was reinstated.

Elsewhere, Jamie Webb qualified fastest for today’s men’s 800m final while in the women’s event Keely Hodgkinson, Isabel Boffey and Ellie Baker all powered into the final.