The eagle owl which is said to have attacked at least 50 people in the Dutch town of Purmerend, north of Amsterdam, has been caught.

A falconer managed to capture the aggressive bird which had forced several people to get hospital treatment for wounds to their heads. The town council statement does not say how the falconer managed to catch the bird.

The owl is said to be in good health and is now in a ‘temporary facility’ awaiting a transfer to a permanent home. Experts think the bird may be an escapee or brought up by humans because of its strange behaviour.

Council alderman Mario Hegger said officials would have preferred to leave the bird alone, but it had become too risky to do so.

Locals had resorted to going out with umbrellas in an effort to stop the bird attacking them. The eagle owl has been living in the locality for around a year.

Eagle owls can have a wingspan of almost two metres when fully grown.