Thousands of racing pigeons go missing in French storm

Belgian pigeon fanciers say birds didn't have a chance' after contest went wrong in Narbonne

Belgian pigeon fanciers are in uproar after thousands of their birds went missing when they were released into stormy weather in a competition that went wrong.

The birds were let out in Narbonne in southern France at the start of a race back to their lofts in northern Europe, but they soon hit a summer storm. The Belgian pigeon federation described the outcome as a catastrophe and blamed organisers for allowing the birds to become airborne despite forecasts of bad weather.