A runaway chicken and a surprise sinkhole caused disruption on the streets of Perth.
A bizarre series of early morning incidents caused extra confusion for drivers and shoppers on Monday, who were already contending with the start of major roadworks in the city centre.
Council officers locked down the city’s Alexandra Street after a large crater – big enough to hold a watermelon – appeared on the carriageway.
A spokesman said the hole posed a “likelihood of danger to the public”.
The stretch of road was shut to traffic from its junction with Leonard Street and Caledonian Road, while access for emergency services was retained.
The gap, which appeared beside a water main cover, was filled in by 10am and safety checks were carried out before the road was re-opened.
Around the same time, a chicken was spotted running around in a supermarket car park.
The Scottish SPCA was alerted to the fowl business at the Tesco on Crieff Road and sent a rescue officer to try to catch the bird.
It is thought that Monday morning’s appearance was the second time the chicken had turned up at the supermarket in two days.
An SSPCA spokesperson said: “The chicken is no longer there and it happened yesterday (Sunday) as well.
“If anyone sees it they can contact us again and we will try and catch it.”
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The animal protection charity said that based on reports they do not believe the animal is injured – though it remains a mystery as to where the chicken has been coming from.
The SSPCA spokesperson said: “It just likes the Tesco car park.”
A Tesco employee said they believed that the animal was a white Cornish hen.
The story of the runaway chicken that crossed the road sparked the imagination of people online.
While many questioned why the bird had began his journey, others thought it might have been travelling due to the time of year.
Keith Bell said “it was looking for the Easter bunny”, while George Harley quipped, “he’s looking to buy some Easter eggs”.
The unusual occurrences added to travel disruption in the city, as major roadworks got under way on George Street.
Scottish Water began a week-long operation to upgrade underground pipes in the city centre.
During the work, the junction with High Street and Tay Street has been closed down.
A Scottish Water spokesman assured that there would be no interruption to local supplies while the work is carried out.
