A PIGEON belonging to the Queen has swapped Sandringham for Birtsmorton, where it is being trained for a prestigious race.

The royal bird is one of 800 under the watchful eye of Jeremy Davies in a purpose-built loft at Home Farm, the site of a major event in the pigeon-racing world.

On September 11, the pigeons will fly in a 'one-loft' race from Northern France to Home Farm - a 235-mile trip. The first across the finish line will net its owner £12,000.

While the flat-cap stereotype of a pigeon fancier does not sit easily with the public image of the Queen, Mr Davies said it has long been a royal interest.

In the first and second world wars, pigeons belonging to the royal family were used to carry crucial messages across the Channel.

The Queen is also patron of the Royal Pigeon Racing Association (RPRA), which is organising the September race. Mr Davies said there were large lofts at Sandringham, but he was not convinced the Queen would actually be seen clearing them out.

"She's been seen at a few racing events but I don't know if she flies them herself," he said. "It would be interesting to know what goes on."

Mr Davies has spent about £40,000 building the state-of-the-art loft for the race and said he was delighted to be asked to host it.

"I've been working with animals all my life and the opportunity came up and I was asked if I'd be interested in doing it, so I thought I'd give it a go," he said.

"Hopefully, if everything goes well, we'll do it for the next three years.

Mr Davies is even in discussions with a TV company about producing a celebrity pigeon race next year.

Entry to the race costs £100 and each bird's progress can be tracked online at www.RPRA.1loftrace.co.uk.