A POLICE Community Support Officer whose vegetable plot has been under attack from a pesky peacock has used her detective skills to track down the bird’s owner.

Jackie Tyrrell’s home in Ardleigh has been host to the bolshie bird for the past week during which time her Brussels Sprouts, cauliflowers and cabbages have all been eaten.

Although the Colchester officer has a soft spot for her mystery guest she wanted to track down its real owner be-fore anymore damage was done.

After getting a tip off she managed to find the bird’s last keeper – a local woman who revealed that the peacock’s name is Mr Darcy.

However, there was no romantic end to the tale as the woman told Jackie that she did not really want Mr Darcy back anyway as he had also arrived at her home as an unwelcome guest.

Jackie said: “The lady said it was called Mr Darcy and that it had been missing from her house for about six weeks and that she would come and catch it.

“But it then turned out that Mr Darcy had turned up in her garden in the same way it did at mine and had been with her for a while.

“She kept it with her chickens before it then disappeared and eventually arrived at mine.

“She has said she is quite happy for it to stay with me, but I am not really that happy as before long it will get hun-gry.

“It has had all the vegetables, so I don’t know what it will want to have next.”

Jackie is now hoping someone will come forward to claim the bird, or volunteer to look after it.

However, she does not think catching Mr Darcy will be an easy task.

“I don’t think we have a chance in hell of catching it – I think someone will have to use a net.

“It would actually be quite sweet if it was not so destructive and I would be happy to leave it in the garden but it is destroying the plants and flowers too.”

The true owner of Mr Darcy, or anyone keen on taking him on, can contact Jackie at Colchester police station on 0300 333 4444.