Barmy pheasant Captain Beaky tops the pecking order

The barmy bird has been terrorising pensioners Peter and Jan Hallett and their neighbours near Cleobury Mortimer for months.

It comes after the Shropshire Star reported how another pheasant, christened Phil, had taken to attacking the Hudson family in Wentnor, near Bishop's Castle.

Experts believe the birds may be mistaking villagers for rival males before going into attack mode.

Sally-Ann Hudson has taken to arming herself with a badminton racquet every time she leaves the house in Wentnor to fend off Phil.

And Mr and Mrs Hallett have also had to arm themselves to keep Captain Beaky at bay – but their weapon of choice is a wooden broom.

Mr Hallett, 73, said: "He is an absolute pest.

"He really doesn't like the colour red. The wife put a red anorak on the other day to go out and do the gardening and he really went for her when she went outside.

"The postwoman who delivers our mail is absolutely terrified of him – she won't get out of the van unless she absolutely has to, she pulls up, winds the window down a tiny amount and pushes it through the slot.

"Of course working for Royal Mail, wearing red and driving a bright red van, she is in trouble with the Captain.

"It is like showing a red rag to a bull, except in this case, it is like a red rag to a pheasant."

Mr Hallett said his wife Jan, 71, had claw marks on her legs from being scratched by the bird.

"You are normally okay until he gets to about a foot away," he said.

"Then the natural reaction is to put your hands up to defend yourself. But if you do that, or show any signs you might try and touch him, he goes into full-on attack mode.

"He tries to sneak up behind you as well and take a run-up at you, we really have to keep our wits about us with him."

Mr Hallett said Captain Beaky had only really been giving them bother for a couple of months but neighbours had reported him being on the scene for at least a couple of years.

"He seems to have taken a liking to us for some reason," Mr Hallett said.

"There is definitely something wrong with him. We couldn't find him anywhere the other day and when we did finally locate him he was at the next-door neighbours attacking the mirror image of himself in the French windows.

"He refuses to fly for some reason and runs like the cartoon character Road Runner.

"The neighbours have a Jack Russell and it is comical when he chases the Captain – you see them both going at it down the road, full pelt, with the pheasant only just managing to stay out in front."

Mr Hallett said he would not go as far as saying he had become fond of the new family 'friend'– but insisted he would not harm it. "We use the broom to defend ourselves and he stands his ground – sometimes you literally have to get the broom underneath him and throw him," he said.

"There are obviously a lot of people around these parts into their shooting and we have had offers to 'get rid' of him.

"But I wouldn't want him to come to any harm.

"He is a right nuisance at times but he is a character."

Paul North, from the World Pheasant Association, said the birds were displaying typical mating season behaviour.

"They obviously see them as a rival male," he added.