A MAGPIE has been spotted fluttering around a Bournemouth supermarket for more than two weeks, leaving customers baffled.

The unlucky bird has been flying around Tesco Extra in Castle Lane on Riverside Avenue, Bournemouth.

Customers say the magpie has been trapped in the store for over a week.

Steve Fisher is from Bournemouth and regularly shops at the supermarket.

He said: "I was pretty stunned when I first saw the magpie. They're typically quite clever birds.

"They tend to pick and choose where they like to go, so I was stumped as to why they would have picked a Tesco.

"The magpie must have some sort of agenda with the supermarket."

A magpie is a distinctive bird that belongs to the corvidae family, which includes crows, ravens, and jays.

They are social creatures with complex behaviours, recognised for their intelligence comparable to some mammals.

The magpie has been perching on the supermarket's Coinstar machine and the photo booth, where someone has put out a plastic cup full of water and what appears to be some food.

A Tesco employee explained that efforts had been made to capture the bird using a net, but the attempts were unsuccessful, and the bird still needs to be removed from the food shop.

Steve said: "The magpie is quite a character. It flies around the shop in a pattern and swoops amongst the customers and down the aisles.

"It's not trying to get out or anything. He seems to be quite happy where he is.

"I asked a member two people, and both said the bird has been there for over two weeks."

"It seems to be a source of amusement, and people stop to watch it fly around aisles."

At this time, it is unknown how the magpie got into the store.

Some people have taken to social media to express their concerns that the bird must still be removed from the premises.

A resident said they were disappointed that the store had left the magpie 'trapped' in the store.

They explained that the bird could be seen flying back and forth, trying to find its way out of the Tesco.

A Tesco spokesperson said: “We are working with specialists and local wildlife organisations to help the bird safely exit our Bournemouth Extra store.”