A Cornish village has been overrun with a colony of peacocks that escaped a nearby manor - scratching cars and pooing on lawns.

The 'pride' of birds are a regular sight in Gulval on the outskirts of Penzance. It has been home to the exotic birds for at least two decades ever since they allegedly escaped or were freed from a nearby manor house.

They are often seen in front gardens putting on their display of feathers but also attacking cars when they see their own reflection.

Dylan Jasper, who has lived in the village for six years, said the peacocks are cute but also messy as they scratch cars and leave their droppings all over the place.

Dylan said: "There’s about 30 peacocks at the moment. They’re cute and will come relatively close to people. They walk around Gulval and fly up the roofs very frequently. They don’t care about oncoming cars so they may stand in the middle of the road.

"But people do complain about them pooing often and being noisy, one particular complaint I and some others have had - is they scratch cars quite a lot.

"I’ve had it particularly bad with mine, where they see themselves in the reflection of my car and peck at it causing deep scratches. They also stand on top of cars scratching the top with their claws."

The peacocks are reportedly "always" in Gulval and some residents say they are what gives the village its character. Doreen Humphries is a local resident who has named the peacocks that reside in her garden.

She said: "The early evening is the best time to see them as they come to roost. I have lots of peacocks - the youngsters who, this year have their big boys feathers for the first time, are still in mating mode.

"We sadly lost Percy in January, but Rupert is often resting in the sun. We are hoping that he will claim this bit of territory for himself. I always keep grapes for them and love having them around!"

One local said the peacocks make the area "very special and unusual", but some commuters are worried about their numbers close to the roads.

One explained: "I have to dodge the peacocks most weeks in Gulval on the way to work, from Newlyn to St Ives. My heart is in my mouth hoping that cars won’t hit them.

"The first time I saw a male peacock strutting his stuff in full display was a (lovely) surprise - not what you expect on your morning commute!"