No Trifling Matter: Magpie Trapped in Godalming Sainsbury’s

Published on: 1 May, 2026
Updated on: 1 May, 2026

The Godalming Sainsbury’s magpie – considering whether to finish with a cheese course.

By Daisy Edwards

A magpie with a fondness for sausage rolls, ham and trifle has been trapped in the Sainsbury’s superstore in Godalming, it is said, since April 19.

Magpies are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is illegal for pest control to remove them in any way that harms them. This means Godalming locals have taken to community Facebook groups to help get the bird removed safely.

Speaking to The Guildford Dragon NEWS, a witness, Jane Gray, said it’s been “hiding out up high” and has not been tempted into humane traps or by the food that has been put out for it.

Instead, the magpie has been feasting on sausage rolls, ham, fresh bread, and even trifle – not a very healthy diet for a bird.

Sainsbury’s Godalming Google

In a post on a Godalming community Facebook group, one comment reads: “It’s shocking, the bird keeps distress calling, so it’s clearly stressed.”

Gray said: “He probably has a mate somewhere, so we need to get him out as soon as possible.”

Gray also said that she has tried playing magpie sounds near the door and has attempted to contact Wildlife Aid Foundation, but so far, she claims, little action has been taken, particularly by Sainsbury’s.

Rescuing the magpie has become a community mission, and, members hope the magpie will be free and soaring through the air once more, soon.

We have tried to contact Sainsbury’s for a comment.