A WILD pheasant is wreaking havoc in a peaceful town forcing residents to take cover indoors, it was reported today.

Local paper The Northern Echosaid the aggressive male bird has a long list of victims in North Yorkshire, England.

He has reportedly attacked men, women, children, baby-strollers, bikes, dogs and even cars in Newsham, North Yorkshire.

The ferocious bird is known to hide silently in bushes, waiting for innocent passersby, before leaping out for an attack.

The pheasant has been rumoured to wait for the area school bus, chasing screaming children into the safety of their home.

Sonia Hall, 65, who was attacked by the pheasant while out for a walk with her two-year-old grandson, Jacob, told the Northern Echo, "When we came out of the post office and set off back to the house, the pheasant darted across the road towards us. It started flying low towards my legs and pecking at me."

Hall now leaves the house ready and armed to fight the pesky bird.

"Another day it came at me and I whacked it with my handbag. I carry an umbrella around with me now for protection," she added.

Lindsay Waddell, chairman of the National Gamekeepers Organisation, told the UK's Daily Mail that the bird was just protecting what it considered to be its home territory.

Waddell said the best way to deal with the bird would be to humanely capture it and relocate it away from the village.



