A suspect in an investigation into attacks on three men in Inverness earlier this year is now safely in custody after causing a major flap.

The eagle owl thought to be behind the alleged assaults was apprehended, appropriately enough, outside the procurator-fiscal's office in the Highland capital.

It was last seen on the banks of the River Ness in February, and drew a crowd when it returned to the city streets this week, allowing the Scottish Society for Protection of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) to act.

"The eagle owl was wearing jesses [strips of strong leather], indicating it may have flown off while being exercised," said the SSPCA's senior inspector Andy Brown. "Inquiries are currently being made to try to identify the bird's owner."

The eagle owl has a wing span of 6ft and is the largest owl in Europe.

It is not the first time an eagle owl has been seen around Inverness.