Animals that clean are usually confined to films and fairy tales.

But a tiny mouse has been filmed tidying a pensioner's garden shed.

Stephen Mckears, 72, noticed things moving in his shed in Severn Beach, South Gloucester a month ago.

The retired electrician saw plastic clips appear in an old ice cream tub filled with peanuts which he keeps to feed the birds.

Mr Mckears and his neighbour filmed the mouse tidying away the metal objects from around midnight to 2.30am - an activity it has been doing every night for around a month

The mouse tidies away large bolts from the counter. Every day Mr Mckears would return to his shed to find the metal pieces had been moved into the tub overnight

And each night more objects began to accumulate.

Questioning his sanity, Mr Mckears emptied the tub, scattering the nuts and bolts across his shed, only to discover the mess had been cleaned by the morning.

After weeks of finding large screws, plastic leads, nuts and bolts neatly filed away, he decided to set up a trail camera to uncover the mystery guest.

He asked his neighbour Rodney Holbrook, 70, to help him film what was going on in his shed overnight.

Mr Mckears and his neighbour were left baffled when the footage showed an adorable mouse busily tidying the shed - even attempting to lift objects twice his size.

Mr Mckears asked his neighbour Rodney Holbrook, 70, to help him film what was going on in his shed in South Gloucester overnight

The mouse gets ready to leap up and deposit this metal piece into the plastic tub

Mr Mckears, from Severn Beach, South Gloucs., said: 'I've been calling him Brexit Mouse because he's been stockpiling for Brexit.

'The heaviest thing was the plastic attachment at the end of a hose pipe - and the chain of an electric drill.

'I didn't know what it was at first. The kids were saying it was a ghost.

'One day I emptied the tub out and spread the contents on the side - and the the next day they were all back in again. I thought I was going mad.'

Stephen Mckears, 72, saw plastic clips appear in an old ice cream tub filled with peanuts which he keeps to feed the birds. Over time more objects appeared in the tub

Mr Holbrook, who lives just a few minutes drive from his friend, is a keen wildlife photographer and said he had to see the DIY mouse for himself.

He said: 'I've been calling him Metal Mickey but some people have been saying he's just mouse proud.

'I was quite amazed to see it - it is an amazing mouse.

'Steve asked if he could use my trail camera to film whatever it was that was moving the objects in his shed.

'The mouse was chucking things into the box - we thought it was a ghost or something at first. I thought I have to see this for myself.'

The pair filmed the mouse tidying away the metal objects from around midnight to 2.30am - an activity it has been doing every night for around a month.

Stephen added: 'It was doing it for about two hours that night - he must have had to go for a sleep after it.

'I've seen a mouse moving objects to make a nest but never metal objects. It's quite amazing.

'It's still busy doing it now.'