Foul-mouthed Barney the parrot is back

First he told the mayoress to f*** off during a civic visit and then turned to two police officers and a vicar and added: "You can f*** off too, w******!"

But, worse still, he is now teaching his bad habits to two other birds at the wildlife sanctuary where he lives. "I knew that Barney could swear but what has happened is shocking," said sanctuary owner Geoff Grewcock. "He's been teaching the other two when we had our backs turned. It sounds like a builders' yard, with all the abuse flying about."

Barney, a seven-year-old blue and gold macaw, apparently picked up his choice vocabulary from his previous owner.



He has duly passed it on to African Greys Sam and Charlie, both five years old, with whom he shares a cage in Mr Grewcock's living room. Their favourite words are f*** off, b******* and t***.

Mr Grewcock, who owns the Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary in Nuneaton, said: "They just sit there swearing at each other now.

"I wouldn't mind, but we had been careful of what we said in front of the other birds so they didn't go like Barney. I didn't think they would pick it up from him. We have got another African Grey called Sunny who squawks 'shut up' at them when the swearing starts - but they don't take any notice."