Keen-eyed passengers at Oxford train station might have spotted a mysterious figure sitting above the station entrance – a giant owl.

The owl sits above the front doors of the station and can often be seen sporting seasonal attire, such as a Snowman gear at Christmas, a St Patrick’s Day hat and poppies for Remembrance Day.

A spokesperson for Great Western Railway explained the plastic owl was put up “to act as a deterrent to pigeons”.

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Back in 2002, the Oxford Mail ran a story when the unnamed bird was placed at the station.

Jonathan Radley, spokesperson for the now defunct Thames Trains, said at the time the owl is the station’s “secret weapon”.

He said: “[Pigeons] were making a lot of mess at Reading and we didn't want the same problem at Oxford.”

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