Snakes and police stone crows

Stone the crows, said judicial officers after the thieves had been fingered.

Staffers at the Parramatta offices of the NSW Attorney-General's Department had been perplexed at the disappearance of stones from the centre's pebble garden. Landscapers launched an investigation and the suspects were identified.

Crows had been mistaking the pebbles for eggs, they said, taking them away from the building and trying to smash them open.

"The suspect was described as having a beak and two wings", Parramatta Justice Precinct project director Malcolm Levy said.

"We have reason to believe a number of feathered felons were involved in the pebble heist. We are unsure whether the crows wanted to eliminate potential competition or were just looking for a feed of egg yolk."

And officials have put the frighteners on the thieves. Four rubber snakes have been successfully employed as security guards for new pebbles added to the garden.