A PROTESTING parrot breeder plans to perch on a giant grandfather clock until his confiscated birds are returned.

Harry Sissen, 66, pitched a tent on the 30ft high wooden clock that he built in a field next to his home.

He says he will stay there until Customs and Excise officials agree to bring back the rare breeds seized from his farm in East Cowton, North Yorkshire. Officers took 139 of his birds, many of which have since died.

After the raid, the international parrot expert was jailed on smuggling charges in 1998, in a high profile case in which his MP and former Tory leader William Hague gave evidence.

Now he says he is serving time again in his field, in a bid to save the lives of the remaining 80 birds.

Mr Sissen, who has appeared on wildlife TV programmes, has always maintained that his lifetime's work was to protect endangered species by breeding new birds to return to their natural environment.

But Customs officers accused him of smuggling rare birds and he was jailed for 30 months. Since then he has appeared in court again so Customs can recoup some of the substantial court costs.

Mr Sisson has already paid £50,000, but says he cannot afford any more without having to sell his farm and his home, shared by his family.

He said: "At the time of the raid, it was in the middle of the breeding season. Yet despite this, nearly 140 birds were removed. Of those, 63 have since died in captivity."

At his trial, it was alleged that Customs had broken up an international smuggling ring.

However, he said that it had since been established that all of the birds were legally owned by him and the vast majority had also been bred by him.

An appeal court judgement that the birds should be returned to Mr Sissen was later overruled.