A wild peahen chase in Sutton and Morden has ended peacefully after a group of residents snared the elusive bird.

After several weeks on the run, the majestic creature, which had been strutting around Sutton and Merton, has finally been returned to a Hobbledown children's farm in Epsom.

Not a bird renowned for its shyness, the peahen had been game enough to be caught on camera more than once by members of the public, who sent us in a selection of pictures.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said it was "very unusual" to see such a bird in suburban London, but there is no suggestion of fowl play.

Tim Webb, a spokesman for the RSPB, said it was good to see people taking an interest.

He said: "It's things like this that show people still care about the natural world. Sutton residents reactions to the peahen is one of those shows of public support."

The bird, which is a female peafowl (not a peacock, which is male), was spotted in Sutton Common and the St Helier Estate yesterday (June 10).

The Riverside Animal Rescue Centre, based in Beddington, had been told about the runaway bird but says it had difficulty in catching it as its wings have not been clipped.

But today a group of residents in Reigate Avenue, where the bird had recently roosted, caught the bird and it has since been collected by the centre based on Horton Road, Epsom.