Peacock at home in OAP's garden

The peacock has not yet displayed its tail feathers for Mr Lewis

Most people expect to see sparrows, blackbirds and the occasional robin in their garden at this time of year.

But Alan Lewis, 77, has a more unusual feathery visitor than most - a peacock.

The striking blue bird has been wandering between his back garden and around five of his neighbours' homes in Aberkenfig, Bridgend, for a month.

Mr Lewis said he did not understand where the peacock had come from and added: "We are all astounded by it. It doesn't seem to want to leave."

Mr Lewis said he first saw the bird on a railway line behind his house as he took his dog for a walk.

It flew off and he thought nothing more of it until the following day when he saw it in a chicken coop at the bottom of his garden.

People in the local Conservative Club keep asking my dad when he joined the gentry Tracy Thomas, daughter

"Sure enough, there it was running around with the chickens," said widower Mr Lewis, has four grandchildren.

"It flew up and went next door and since then it's been appearing at intervals and going to around five or six of my neighbours' gardens.

"The neighbours are quite astounded like me. We thought of places around here where it might have come from.

"We thought about Bryngarw Country Park but that's a few miles away and as far as I'm aware they don't have peacocks."

Mr Lewis says he has now got rid of his chickens - but the peacock is still appearing in his garden, despite a 6ft fence and surrounding walls.

"You go up the garden and it's there just scratching and pecking about."

Mr Lewis's daughter Tracy Thomas said: "It's the talk of the village. Everybody's gobsmacked.

"People in the local Conservative Club keep asking my dad when he joined the gentry."