Peacock causes a flap as he chases ice cream van through Lancashire village

A peacock called Patrick is causing a flap in the village of Banks near Southport, after being spotted chasing an ice cream van down the street.

A video posted on a social media shows the van making its way round a residential road, only to be followed by the peacock, running in the middle of the road, looking very determined to catch up.

The video is accompanied by the sound of laughter and shouts of "peacock".

If you listen very closely, you can also hear the pitter patter of the peacock's feet as he runs.

ITV news has discovered the peacock has been named Patrick by locals, who are used to seeing him chasing the ice-cream van.

What they are not sure about though is if Patrick has a penchant for a 99 or a choc-ice!

The ice cream van is nearly gone but Patrick is not giving up Credit: Banks Community

For people in the village of Banks, Patrick is not the only peacock they are used to seeing on the streets.

Back in 2012, this less than rural community become an unlikely haven for peacocks and peahens, with a group of roundabout 15 of them regularly walking around the estate, and leaving the unmentionable on car bonnets, pavements and driveways.

A group of peacocks is called a party, a muster, an ostentation, or a pride.

One woman even complained a peacock dented her car when it caught sight of its reflection and started to fight with it.

Some residents secured their sheds and greenhouses with some even tooled up with water pistols.

It is still not certain where the peacocks came from, but some residents believe it was from a nearby farm.