Motorists left cowering for cover after crazed crow gets in flap over reflection in car windows

The jealous bird scratches and pecks at windows, attacks moving vehicles and has even ripped off windscreen wipers with its beak.

Hundreds of residents are being forced to cover their cars with plastic bags to stop the trail of destruction.

Reverend Geoff Eales has covered his car in plastic bags to keep the anti-social crow from vandalising his vehicle

Reverend Geoff Eales, of St Peter's church, said the 'anti-social' bird attacked his car three times over the past week.

He said: 'It is estimated that about £70 has been spent so far on replacing wiper blades on cars in the road.

'I had to buy three new ones to get my car through its MoT test last week. The crow sits on the blades and pecks at his image in the windscreen, then he starts on the rubber blade.' 

The feisty crow initiated the attacks two weeks ago and has since been clawing at his reflection in different windscreens.

Residents have described the large bird as 'devilish' after it walks up and down Baytree Road in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, searching for its unsuspecting victim.

Resident Pluto Denn, 76, a former town crier, said: 'He prances up and down the street looking for a fight.

A crazed crow has got the motorists of Somerset cowering for cover as it attacks passing cars

'He is definitely a bit of a devil, he will fly onto the bonnet and then start scratching at the paintwork before pecking at the windscreen.

'This is the first year he has been like this. He has lived in the oak tree in the vicarage for the past four years.

'He's also very chopsy; he squawks and squeaks all the time. He really like to make a noise and a fuss.'

Fed-up residents have even removed a nest from the oak tree where they believe the bird lived.

He added: 'One resident has been up the tree where they think he lives and removed the nest, but that hasn't deterred the cheeky crow.

'Residents are at a loss to know what to do about the bird, with various ideas from building a scarecrow to hiring a hawk to scare him off.'

It is believed the crow has been carrying out the attacks to ward off potential romantic competition after spotting his own reflection last week.

A spokeswoman from wildlife rescue centre Secret World, near Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, explained how crows are very 'territorial' by nature.

She said: 'This is typical behaviour of a crow; they are very territorial. It has probably seen it's reflection and gone a bit mad.

'Peacocks are also similar and we have had problems with them scratching cars over the past couple of years.'