Pheasant terrorises postie

Barry Hutchinson, a postie serving Dunsley in North Yorkshire, says a pheasant lies in wait for him every day, waiting to attack.

A North Yorkshire postie is having trouble on his rounds with an aggressive Pheasant. The bird has started attacking the Royal Mail worker in the village of Dunsley.

It's not unknown for the birds - native to Asia - to attack postmen. It's thought this is because the "wattle" on the pheasant's face becomes redder as he reaches mating season. The birds - when they see the post van, literally see red. They equate the colour to competition for the female birds.