Eerie Portent? Crows swarm around Tippi Hedren in scene from The Birds, by Alfred Hitchcock
Eerie Portent? Crows swarm around Tippi Hedren in scene from The Birds, by Alfred Hitchcock

A spate of attacks on women in London has been blamed on angry crows with a grudge against blondes.

The incidents in Eltham Park South are remniscent of Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film The Birds.

Blonde women have been ambushed by crows while walking or jogging in the park, with some even to afraid to return to the green space after the terrifying encounter.

The recent attacks echo a previous problem with angry crows in the park in 2010, in which blondes were also the target of avian rage.

A bird expert explained that the crows in Eltham Park South are targeting blondes because they trigger bad memories.

British Trust for Ornithology spokesman Paul Standcliffe told the London Evening Standard: "The reaction to fair hair may be a response to a previous attack by a creature with lighter hair or fur, like a Labrador."

Sarah Green was attacked by a crow while running in the park. She said: "The bird swooped down very fast, landed on my head and started pecking away. It was the shock of it: it felt quite big and strong.

"I was shaking my head and flapping my arms and trying to get it off me. It had its claws in my hair. It was quite hard to shake off."

The incident has forced her to change her jogging route. "It's put me off running around the park. I think I'm going to stick to the roads," said Green.