Alcoholic parrot being put back on the wagon

An alcoholic parrot is being weaned off the hard stuff by its Romanian owners.

Bobby flew straight over to a pint of beer for a sip the very first time he was let out of his cage at their home in Bucharest.

Owner Maria Radoi says he went on to develop a taste for it and moved on to whisky, vodka and brandy.

She initially thought it was doing Bobby no harm as he became more talkative after a drink, but now it has become an addiction.

Maria said: "He would say really nice things like, 'Kiss me mum'. But lately he has become very demanding and chants 'beer, beer, beer' over and over again."

The pensioner told Romanian newspaper Libertatea: "The first time we let Bobby out of his cage he flew straight over to a pint of beer that my husband was drinking. He took a real liking to it. After that he moved on to the harder stuff - whisky and brandy. Now we can't stop him."

The elderly couple plan to get their parrot a mate to keep him company, once they get him sober.

Maria said: "We'll take it one day at a time. Everyday we'll give him less and less until he gets used to life without alcohol."