'Bold, fat' peacock wanders the streets of Hampstead

Residents in part of north London are having their feathers ruffled by an aggressive newcomer - a peacock.

The exotic bird has been seen wandering the streets and gardens of Hampstead and Camden over the past five days. Police and the RSPCA were called to tackle it - but failed to capture the creature as it flew away.

So far no-one has discovered where the bird came from and nearby London Zoo has counted its peacocks and said none are missing.

Camden councillor Lazzaro Pietragnoli, 45, saw the peacock strutting down a crowded high street in Belsize Park.

Police said they received "a number of calls" when it was first spotted in the Belsize Park area on Friday. Officers attended and contacted the RSPCA but both agencies were unable to take further action as the bird was uninjured.

The RSCPA added that it is a crime to release the species, native to India, into the wild in the UK.