ASTONISHED residents whose gardens and driveways have been invaded by peahens are being told to round them up themselves by authorities.

For more than two weeks four peahens have been spotted wandering through the streets of Curzon Close, Curzon Park, Hoole and Vincent Drive, Westminster Park, digging up gardens and flying on to roofs.

Concerned residents alerted the RSPCA, RSPB, police and Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) after the family of birds arrived, fearful they would be run over or shot.

But the response they got surprised them as they were told the peahens were not in their jurisdiction and the residents had to round them up and house the birds themselves.

Chris Owens, who has been looking after the birds in her sister’s garden in Vincent Drive, said: “We have rung the Grosvenor Estate and the zoo to see if they are missing any peahens, and I am still ringing the RSPCA but they want nothing to do with it.

“No-one seems to care. How are we going to round them up and find somewhere for four of them to live? I am shocked.

“They are wandering all over the place, they are only young and they are going to get run over or killed. Does someone have to shoot at them before anyone cares?”

RSPB spokesman Tim Melling said peacocks and peahens are not protected as they are not wild British birds.

“This is a very common problem, people think that peacocks would be nice to have in their garden and then they make such a mess and noise that they dump them,” he said.

“We cannot secure the birds because they are an introduced species, and the RSPCA will not do anything unless they are being treated cruelly.

“All they can do is wait for them to fly away or round them up and find someone nearby who will take them in and care for them.”

A spokesman for CWaC said: “It is not something we would get involved with, we have no jurisdiction in the matter.”

Desperate residents are appealing for any animal lover who could give the peahens a kind and loving home to come forward and catch them.