A SECOND famous face has come forward to support a struggling West Oxfordshire owl sanctuary that has found itself with six new beaks to feed.

Chrissie Harper, who runs Chrissie's Owls from her home in Longore, Stonesfield, received a surprise 2am visit from singer Will Young earlier this year.

The Pop Idol star has now backed the sanctuary's urgent plea for funds, praising Mrs Harper's "care, love and sheer will" as an "everyday hero".

Mr Young, 37, who will appear on Strictly Come Dancing next month, said he had been driving back from a concert when the owl flew into his car.

He said: "As a bird lover I was distraught so put the owl in the back of my car in a box nestled amongst towelling.

"Even though it was 2am, I managed to find Chrissie’s Owl Sanctuary, which was the only place open. I couldn’t believe how wonderful she was.

"The care, love and sheer will Chrissie showed was astonishing. I call people like this ‘everyday heroes’. Anyone who enjoys the countryside and the nature of Oxfordshire, please do dip into your pockets and contribute. People like Chrissie keep our nature safe and thriving."

Sadly the bird in question died, but Mrs Harper is still looking after about 40 birds by herself after the death of her husband, Tom, aged 80.

The 67-year-old said Mr Young had shown up some time before Tom's death in March, recalling: "He loved wildlife and I will always remember it because he was so nice to Tom."

Last week Mrs Harper rescued six fluffy barn owl chicks from a nesting box that had blown from its tree at New Mill Lane, Witney.

The chirruping chicks are currently eating 50 mice a day and will need to be hand-reared before they are taken to an aviary, then released into the wild.

Mrs Harper said: "They are going to have to be fed for weeks and weeks. It costs £12 for 25 mice and these owls are eating me out of house and home.

"It's going to cost me a bomb but I wanted to keep the rescue open for Tom's sake. We did everything together."

The sanctuary is run from a council house that Mrs Harper and her husband bought about 30 years ago.

One of its permanent residents is a half-blind buzzard named Benedict, named after the actor Benedict Cumberbatch, whose thespian parents Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham dropped off in summer 2015 after the bird was hit by a car.

Mr Carlton said it was in "good hands" and he "could not believe" Chrissie's Owls was not subsidised.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to Chrissie's Owls is asked to visit chrissiesowls.com