Updated:5pm

More than 300 hens, pigeons and rabbits, as well as a cat and 33 parrots were found on Wednesday during an enforcement action at an old illegal factory in Mrieħel.

However, the works had to grind to a halt after the court upheld an application by the owner of the site, Philip Borg, for the works to be stopped, and issued an injuction.

The animals were found during the action coordinated by the Planning Authority, which called on the Animal Welfare Department to provide assistance.

Direct action to demolish the factory, illegally built in the 1980s in an outside development area along Mdina Road, started this morning.

The department said the animals were found to be not in a good condition and were being temporarily cared for by the Animal Welfare Directorate. There was no plan to put any of them to sleep.