Pigeon racing is often associated with cloth caps and northern industrial towns, but to Didcot and Hagbourne District Flying Club's secretary, the image could not be further from the truth.

Lawrence Le Carre says in Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties like Berkshire, the sport is flourishing.

He first started racing pigeons three years ago, when a neighbour, Pete Gilbert asked him to become a partner in a pigeon consortium.

"Up until then, my only interest in pigeons was shooting them out of the sky! I suppose you could say I was poacher turned gamekeeper.

"I really enjoy racing birds. I love the competition. You breed them, train them, and then all of a sudden you put them into a crate and send them to somewhere like France or Spain.

"And then you have to sit down and you have the anxiety of waiting for them to come back. You never know how many will return, because a lot of them are attacked by hawks.

"When they do come back, you then have to wait, not only for your club's results, but also for another week for the Federation results to come through from clubs all over the country.

"I don't know how they make it back. Some say they use landmarks, while others say they have their own built-in magnetic compass."

Le Carre said he now has 60 to 70 birds, having started the season with a loft of 100 or so. Training the birds is a matter of sending them out and increasing the distance they fly back to the loft.

He said the pigeons' biggest danger was from hawks. "They are a big problem. The racing pigeons are not as clever as wild pigeons. They fly in packs, and a hawk will dive into the middle knowing he is guaranteed of getting at least one."

If the club are racing abroad, the birds are caged up on Thursday, while if it's an inland meeting, the operation is carried out on a Friday.

Le Carre first got into pigeon racing almost by accident. "A pigeon landed in my garden and no one knew who it belonged to," he said. "When no one claimed it, we bred it with one from Pete's loft."

He said it did not cost thousands of pounds to participate in pigeon racing - the only real expense is the time.

"The loft we have got, Pete actually built himself, so it didn't cost much at all."

Le Carre said Gilbert raced pigeons for many years, before taking a break and returning to the sport three years ago.

"When I first came into pigeon racing, I admit I did think it was a cloth cap sport. But all sorts of people take part in pigeon racing and from all age groups.

"We have got two company directors, and a computer expert.

"Our membership ranges from people in their late seventies to a 12-year-old."

The club has a weekly meeting at The Horse & Harrow at West Hagbourne every Friday, starting at 6.30pm.

"There are thousands of birds released in the southern area alone. It is very popular in Windsor. Even the Queen has her own pigeon loft."

To find out more about pigeon racing contact Le Carre on 01235 820405.