Residents have threatened to resist council officials if they attempt to remove a flock of peacocks that have been terrorising locals for years.

The birds have split opinion on the Ellenborough estate in Maryport, Cumbria, with one side wanting rid of the unruly feathered rabble and others desperate to keep them.

In the past 24 hours officials from Cumberland Council have been seen on the estate, apparently preparing for a large-scale rescue operation for the peacocks, which number around 30.

The formative plan is to utilise police and the fire service and close roads while the tricky business of catching and moving the peacocks begins.

Many residents would be delighted to see them leave.

They say the birds have taken over and are now so brazen that they knock on doors with their beaks looking for food from householders.

People have had their cars damaged by male birds and the squawks and cries of the birds echo around the estate at night, keeping families awake, it is claimed.