Now his feathered friend is an integral part of his family to the point where wherever Tony goes, Peggy follows.

She is a regular at the local pub and also goes to the paper shop with him.

Trips to the fish and chip shop are also common as potato-loving Peggy is partial to the odd french fry.

And it's not even unknown for her to ride along in the passenger seat when Tony goes off on his rounds for his cleaning business, Smurfy's.

The 10-month old bird is often to be found waddling along beside her master in the local park, where the inseparable pair go for regular walks together.

"When dog walkers are out, they are always shocked when they see me with Peggy," said Tony.

"She is very protective of me, very instinctive."

Tony says everyone in his neighbourhood in Wortley, west Leeds, knows her and local children love her.

And for wife Shirley and daughters Laura and Emma, she is just one of the family.

Peggy started life at a breeding farm, along the A64, which supplies restaurants across west Yorkshire.

She is an Aylesbury Duck, a species usually bred only for its meat.

Tony, a lifelong bird lover, already kept pigeons and chickens, but fell in love with the duckling on a visit 10 months ago and decided to take her home.

She now lives in a rabbit hutch in his back yard most of the time, but it's also not unknown for her to sit in his lap or by his side watching TV in the living room.

No doubt she has control of the remote whenever her cartoon cousins Donald and Daffy are on-screen though!

Another subject discussed only in hushed tones in the Wilson house is what might have happened to Peggy had she not been adopted by the family.

"I used to eat duck until I got Peggy but now I don't touch it," whispers Tony, lovingly stroking his pal's pink bill as he does so.

Wife Shirley can testify that Tony's previous favourite Chinese takeaway was duck and crispy pancakes, but he now opts for the prawns and mushrooms every time – with some chips on the side for Peggy of course.