Residents in a sleepy village have moved their letter boxes after a postman complained about a dove – which tries to sit on his head as he is doing his rounds.
The bird – known as Harold – has become a popular part of the community of Long Stratton, Norfolk, and regular visits people inside their homes.
But the over-friendly bird has got the local postie in a flap by swooping down and sitting on his head or shoulder as he does his morning round.
Locals have volunteered to move their letterboxes to the end of their drives to stop the Royal Mail worker having to enter the dove’s territory.
Resident Joan Angier, 71, said: “He’s a lovely bird and we all love him around here.
“I just think the postman has a phobia of him, or that’s what everyone says anyway.
“He’s very friendly, he’ll come and sit on your knee in the garden and everything.
“He’s a unique bird, he’s got a very distinctive coo-coo, different to the pigeons.”
The wild collared dove first appeared in April, nesting on top of villagers’ home.
But he was taken under the wing of locals, who took pity on his skinny frame and began feeding him scraps.
Joan said: “Back then he was young and skinny. But he got fed by the neighbours and he became so tame.
“We call him Harold, but I imagine he goes by all sorts of names.
“We volunteered to put the letter boxes outside to make life easier for the postman.
“Unfortunately, with him being a wild bird, we have no control over him”.
Adrian Trowbridge, 72, said one of his first encounters with Ringo was when he flew into his living room.
“He came in the house and sat on the TV,” he said.
“He’s a friendly bird, but he just has that annoying habit of sitting on your shoulder or head.
“As for the postman, I have heard of them being put off by dogs, but never a dove.”
Harold the dove only approaches people when they enter his territory.
He then attempts to fly onto their head or shoulders, but is not aggressive.
It’s thought to be the first time a Royal Mail worker has been pestered by a dove while delivering mail.
Earlier this year, it emerged a petrified postman wouldn’t deliver a family’s mail because of a titchy Chihuahua called Tiny.
