Police in pursuit of on-the-run rhea in Oxfordshire Published duration 13 January 2019

image copyright TVP Roads Policing image caption The feathered truant is still at-large in the south Oxfordshire area

Police are pursuing a renegade rhea which is causing disruption on roads in south Oxfordshire.

Thames Valley Police were called at 11:47 GMT on Sunday to help hunt down the bird, which was seen running in the road at Chiltern Bank, Peppard Common.

The feathered truant was later seen in Shiplake Bottom and Hilcrest Lane, and is still at-large.

A single crew was called to the area to locate the bird, and the owner is also trying to locate it.

On Twitter a spokesperson said when officers approached the landed bird "he gave it the legs".

Police added the bird was last seen running across fields in the Sonning Common area.

TVP Road Policing likened it to a scene in British cop comedy Hot Fuzz, where Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's characters are tasked with recovering a swan that went on-the-run.

Rheas are large, flightless birds related to ostriches and emus.

In 2015 Edward the emu escaped his home in Wheatley and went on the run for six days.

image copyright Police image caption Edward the emu went on-the-run in 2015, and was caught six days after he first went missing

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