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Times

Attacking magpies can't stand the rain in Spain, say dazed locals

In scenes reminiscent of Alfred ­Hitchcock's horror film, birds have been ­attacking people in the southern Spanish town of Linares. Indignant residents have taken to protecting their heads with umbrellas after numerous attacks in several parts of the town in Jaén province in the ­Andalusia region. The culprits have been identified as members of the Iberian magpie species. Authorities have tried to allay concerns by saying that the attacks are not malicious. • Visitors to Spain's tallest mountain will face 'eco-tax' The town council has issued a ­communiqué saying that they do not mean to cause harm but are 'an instinctive and temporary response typical of their breeding season'. The episode began with the occasional isolated peck but has become a regular battle, locals told