A pesky peacock has had villagers running round in circles trying to catch it.

The brightly coloured menace gave Colin Haines a shock while he was cutting his 9ft hedge in Tye Green at midday today.

Retired Mr Haines said: “The flipping thing landed next to me and frightened the life out of me.

“Then it landed on my neighbour’s roof and then another roof and then in the road and stopped the traffic.

“It’s been around all day.”

Mr Haines said the bird’s owners came over from Great Leighs with a big net in a bid to catch it.
Residents also did their bit to try and round up the bird, but to no avail.

Mr Haines said: “Even the postman was chasing it.”
The bird is still understood to be enjoying its freedom in the Tye Green.