Parrot squawks on cheating lover's affair

A devastated Englishman learned the horrible truth that his girlfriend was cheating on him - straight from his pet parrot's mouth.

Chris Taylor's parrot Ziggy began squawking "Hiya, Gary" every time his girlfriend Suzy Collins's mobile phone rang.

The African Grey also made kiss noises each time it heard the name Gary on television or radio.

At first amused owner Mr Taylor, a computer programmer, dismissed it as something the bird had picked up watching TV.

But then he snuggled up beside Suzy on the sofa in their flat in Leeds and Ziggy cried out in Suzy's voice "I love you, Gary." The cat was finally out of the bag.

Call-center worker Ms Collins, 25, broke down in tears and confessed to having a four-month fling with a former colleague. She had met her lover in the flat while Ziggy looked on.

Her confession ended their two-year relationship. It also led to 30-year-old Mr Taylor parting company with his pet - because it kept screeching out her lover's name.

Mr Taylor wasn't sorry to see the back of Suzy after what she did, he said. But it really broke his heart to part with eight-year-old Ziggy which he had bought as a chick.

"I lost my girlfriend and best mate at the same time. But it was torture hearing him repeat that name Gary over and over," he said.

Mr Taylor named the parrot after Ziggy Stardust, David Bowie's alter ego. It learned to reproduce the line "Put on your red shoes and dance the blue!" from the Bowie song Let's Dance.

Ziggy has since found a new home with the help of a local parrot dealer.