Bruce the famous people-loving goose is banished from his urban Central Milton Keynes home as a 'health hazard'

The goose that has been a familiar sight around the streets of Central Milton Keynes has been forced to say goodbye to his concrete paradise for good.

Bruce the Goose has spent his life strutting around in the urban environment, approaching shoppers and office workers for scraps of food.

Animal rescuers have rounded him up and ferried him several times to one of the city’s numerous lakes and parks. But each time Bruce has reappeared within days on his favourite pavements in the city centre.

As the months went by, Bruce became bolder and bolder and could be seen walking along busy roads and trying to have a gander inside buildings.

Last week he was finally given his marching orders following a complaint from a member of the public that he was a hazard to people’s health.

Allie Short, who volunteers for MK Swan Rescue, told the Citizen: “Bruce the Goose was reported to MK Council as a health hazard so he needed to be relocated for his own safety."

Allie set out to catch the greylag goose – wearing a disguise.

“I had to go in disguise as it was the third time I’ve been out to catch him and he recognises me and runs when he sees me!” she said.

She has taken Bruce to Waterfowl Sanctuary is in Godmanchester near Huntingdon, where he will live a life of pampered luxury.

And hopefully the 38 mile distance will be too far for him to fly back to his favourite city centre haunts,

“He has had his flight feathers trimmed so he can’t fly off. They will grow back, but hopefully by that time he will have settled in and will realise he’s best off staying in the safe compound with plentiful food,” said Allie.

The adventurous bird had the subject of numerous calls to animal rescuers from concerned members of the public who’d seen him at the city centre and assumed he was lost.

"All we could do was reassure people by explaining the situation – that he was choosing to be there,” said Allie.