Noisy motorbike meets can often upset neighbours but for one family in Christian Malford sharing their backyard with petrol heads doesn’t seem to be a problem.

The picturesque Mermaid Inn in Christian Malford has become the home of a family of nesting blue tits who have taken up residence in an outside cigarette box despite the pub being a popular meeting place for motorbike enthusiasts.

Pub regular Louise Hudd said she was surprised the birds were able to nest undisturbed.

She said: “I just can’t believe it, especially on a Wednesday night.

“The place is packed with people and motorbikes.

“There is usually between 20 and 30 bikes there but the birds don’t seem to mind, they just come and go quite happily.”

Landlord Stephen Chai said the nesting birds were discovered when his partner Nikki Watson went to clean their new home.

He said: “Nikki went to clean out the cigarette box when she found the next and the eggs inside.

“They’ve since hatched and are getting bigger and starting to pick up a bit of colour.

“Its amazing, this weekend we’ve had a 21st birthday party and a hog roast out there right next to the box and the birds don’t seem to mind at all.

“The metal box was starting to get quite hot in the sun so we made a little shade for it with a piece of cardboard.

“I expect in a week or so they will be too big for the nest and they’ll be gone.”

Bar staff Stephanie Dixon said the birds had already grown considerably in the past four weeks.

She said: “There are five babies but they are a kind of brown, mucky colour.

“The parents are blue though.

“They have grown quite a bit now and are moving around a lot more.

“You can hear them from outside.”

To prevent the birds getting an unwelcome dose of cigarette butts there is now a sign informing punters of the box’s new residents.