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 in custody.

Following the swoop 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 is serving time again in his field in a bid to save the lives of the remaining 80 of his feathered friends.

Mr Sissen, who has appeared worldwide 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 warns he can not 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 but he points out that it has now been established that all of the birds were legally owned by him but 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.