The officer with her horse AND lost budgie

The pair, called Odin and Aurora, spotted the frightened budgie flapping about while they were being ridden round Fishermead on night duty by PCs Patrick Frost and Tracey Paul.

The mounted officers rescued the tiny blue and white creature and took it back to Milton Keynes police station, where they fashioned a perch by wedging a riding crop inside a box.

They then put out a tweet on Twitter asking if anybody had lost a budgie. It read: 'Catching not just criminals. Can you help reunite this little lost budgie with its owner?'

The following day delighted owner Nikki Cross came forward to claim the bird, which is called Sparky.

She had put out appeals on social media for Sparky, who had escaped from her aviary 24 hours previously,

Mrs Cross said she was surprised to see the bird nestled in PC Paul's arms as she said Sparky wasn't a friendly budgies and "bites like mad!"

Sparky is now happily reunited with the other birds in the aviary.