Who's a pretty naughty boy? Barney the foul-mouthed parrot teaches other birds how to swear at tourists

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Then Barney the swearing parrot used more Anglo-Saxon language on a vicar and two police officers.

But, worse still, he is now teaching his bad habits to two other birds at the wildlife sanctuary where he lives.

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Geoff Grewcock with his cheeky seven-year-old macaw Barney

"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."

In 2005, Barney told the local 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******!"

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Lewd Lessons: Barney teaches African greys Sam and Charlie some new words

Mr Grewcock said: "We have tried everything to get Barney to curb his language and now we have got another two to contend with.

"These birds can live until they are 70 so there are potentially another 60 years of this to contend with."

Parrot expert Rob Harvey said the birds usually talked to get the attention of their owners. "This case is so unusual because parrots are copying another parrot," he said.