An officer asked the female driver to stop when he noticed that the macaw was flying around inside the car. When further investigation revealed that she'd already been banned from driving, junior officer PC Martin Dadd was "volunteered" to drive the vehicle to the police car pound.

A Port of Dover Police spokesman provided a clear picture of what happened next: "A very nervous probationary officer then proceeded to drive the vehicle to the police station with great difficulty and an equal amount of dexterity as the macaw perched itself on the steering wheel, pecking at his fingers throughout the journey."

A relative of the owner later collected the macaw, which got its big break in 2003, playing the companion of mute pirate David Bailie in The Curse of the Black Pearl. The owner of the parrot has been charged with driving while disqualified, and has been released on bail ahead of an appearance before magistrates later this month.

The original was here