Runaway peacock terrorising Yorkshire villagers and keeping them awake all night

A runaway rooftop peacock has been terrorising fed up villagers in Ossett with its loud cry.

The bird is said to be keeping residents up all night and Terri Sykes, 40, said it has also been flying onto people's roofs and hiding in people's gardens since it escaped from a nearby farm.

She says her family are being 'kept up at night' by the peacock and that some neighbours have had just five hours sleep in three days.

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Sleep-deprived Terri said: "It does keep us up at night because it's quite loud. It's not constantly all night but it does give out its loud calls throughout the night - it's like a big echoing sound that travels all across the street.

"Someone has contacted me, asking me where it is because they could hear it from a couple of streets away. There's quite a few students on the street who are currently doing their SATS, GCSES and A-Levels. My daughter didn't go to school one day because she was awake all night and it was on the next door neighbour's roof.

"I hardly got any sleep as well so everyone is shattered because it's been on and off constantly. Everyone is coming out on the street saying they haven't had much sleep and are just shattered. Some people have had five hours sleep in three days."

Terri says the peacock arrived earlier in the week and mainly goes into people's gardens "for a rest." It will then fly onto a shed roof and from there, will go onto the top of people's houses and roofs.

She said: "It mainly goes into people's gardens and then it will have a rest and get its feathers out and do a little dance. If it gets disturbed, then it will go into a shed roof and then it manages to get onto the top of people's houses and roofs.

"It's taken a liking to a certain one on the street and it will sit there all night."

Terri says the peacock has turned the street into a tourism attraction and that people are driving to see it.

The mum-of-two said: "It's a bit of an attraction for people. People are driving to come and see the peacock because it's been shared all over social media."

The peacock is believed to belong to nearby The Watering Hole On The Farm, who have been trying to catch the bird and take it back home.

Terri, a support worker said: "Apparently there was a thunderstorm and something happened to the avery and then it got out. I think it was quite a new pet to them, which is why it's not had it's wings clipped yet. It manages to fly from roof to roof.

"There was a guy out yesterday trying to catch it but it climbed on top of a bungalow's roof. He was really close to catching it but he says he's a bit scared that the bird is going to be hungry. They are just trying to keep trying."

The Watering Hole On The Farm have been contacted for a comment.