Robin visits Meadow Croft Garden Centre to sing to customers every day

A very loud, unofficial volunteer has caused quite the stir at a garden centre.

Robbie the robin has been flying in through the automatic doors at Meadow Croft, Battlesbridge, and singing to customers every day, for five months.

He liked to perch on garden furniture and chirp along to music from the 80s and 90s, although he was also happy to belt out a solo.

Supervisor at the Essex store, Sally Kesur, said he was "living the dream".

"He came in one day to suss out the area out and I guess it felt homely," she added.

"It's pretty warm in the plant house area and it's all natural light.

"Customers ask if the bird noise is pre-recorded, for the atmosphere, and we say 'no it a real robin', but they don't always believe it until they spot him.

"They come back with their children to visit him - it's very cute."

Robbie the robin has become a regular performer

Ms Kesur said Robbie had become a "little star attraction" at the centre and crowds formed most days around him.

He liked to sit on a stone figure and chat away to customers while they took pictures. When the urge took him, he would belt out a song or fly through the garden centre to keep an eye on everything.

Staff say hello to him each morning and have started to leave out mealworms, robin food mix and water.

When he first turned up, his calls were so loud, that workers thought he was trying to attract a mate - but there was no official partner on the scene at the moment, Ms Kesur said.

The bird had some preferred places to hang out in the centre

"Robbie, has distinctive markings on his chest - You can tell it's him," she added.

"He waits for the automatic doors to open and comes in, but can also go out the vents.

"He is free to roam and is living the dream - some people pop in for a coffee just to see him."

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