More than 20 chickens at a time have been spotted roaming wild on land near a road in the Isle of Man - and 'it's beginning to become a bit of a problem.'

The birds are thought to have been abandoned in the Glen Roy area near Laxey.

Local residents have been feeding the animals 'out of their own goodwill' but Garff Commissioners say it is concerned that the number of cockerels and hens seemingly dumped in the area has increased over the last three years.

Commissioners discussed the problem at its meeting last night and has now spoken out to remind residents that it is a criminal offence to abandon the animals.

Commissioner Mel Christian says she’s not sure why people are leaving the chickens to fend for themselves.

She said: ''Initially it was two or three, but in one part, now there are actually over 20 birds in the area (near the road - thought to be Glenroy Road).

'It’s beginning to become a bit of a problem.

'Obviously, it’s a concern for the animals but also for traffic going through the area when you have chickens running at your car as you’re driving,

'The worry is one day there could be an accident.

'The concern mainly is actually abandoning poultry is an offence in section one of the Cruelty to Animals Act in 1997 and I don’t think people sometimes realise the severity of the problem it’s causing. 

'They (the chickens) do sort of live wild and feral, people do feed them and do sort of care for them but obviously, with the increasing numbers, it is just a concern.'

'I think it (abandoned chickens) has been a problem in different parts of the island previously, but certainly around Glen Roy.

'I’d say it’s probably over the last three years it’s becoming an increasing problem in a couple of areas.'