A champion pigeon fancier believes he was deliberately targeted by arsonists who burned down his loft and killed more than 60 of his prized birds.

Paul Ramsden and his wife Samantha were at an international pigeon convention in Blackpool when his £2,000 garden pigeon loft was destroyed.

When he returned to his home in Speeton Avenue, Horton Bank, he found all but two birds had been burned alive.

More than 50 adult birds were killed along with several newly-borns.

Among the dead birds were several champion racers who had been the first to fly back in competitions to West Yorkshire from as far afield as France and Belgium.

"We are absolutely sick and devastated by this," said Mr Ramsden, 34, who flies and breeds the birds with his 35-year-old brother David. "The pigeons were irreplaceable - you would be looking at about £7,000."

Odsal firefighters, who attended the fire at 2.30am last Saturday, confirmed it was arson. The alarm was raised by neighbours who saw the flames.

Mr Ramsden, a lorry driver with West Yorkshire Fell Mongers in Valley Road, said: "It's unbelievable. We have the best fliers in West Yorkshire here and people know that. If these people had something against me then it has got to be because of my pigeons." Mr Ramsden said a female neighbour saw a man in her garden near the time of the incident and also two people parked in a car in Speeton Avenue.

Mrs Ramsden, 33, said the birds could not be insured but the loft was covered.

The brothers are members of New Bradford Homing Society, based in Southfield Lane, Great Horton.

Secretary Stephen McGlenn said: "It's devastating. Someone has destroyed the last 12 years of their lives." He said the club would help raise funds for a new loft and pigeons at a fundraising event in April.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman confirmed officers had received a report of an arson attack on the pigeon loft.

He appealed for any witnesses or people with information to contact Bradford South Police on (01274) 376459.