Parakeets thought to have been released into Britain by rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix have been spotted flying around in the snow.

The exotic birds, originally from Africa and Asia, have been seen frolicking in the wintry weather and even eating snow off the trees of south London.

A flock of the bright green ring-necked parakeets have been seen around buildings and landing on branches despite the icy winds of the 'beast from the east' which has seen temperatures in the capital drop to below minus 4C.

Footage taken by a resident shows the tropical birds with red beaks land on the trees then peck at the snow covering the foliage.

Freelance aerial videography and drone pilot Danny Gypsy, who owns three parrots of his own, including a green-cheek pineapple parrot called Wiki, captured the birds as they played in the snow in Erith and Thamesmead.

The 30-year-old said: "The ring-neck parakeets enjoying the weather and snow in Erith once the clouds thinned out. They still come out to play in minus 3C.

"Most of the sites I work have a massive population of ring-neck parakeets, they thrive in huge flocks of 20 or 30 at a time in each area.

"They live in the holes of oak trees in the Erith location where these videos and photos are taken.

"I'm personally a parrot owner, I even regularly take my parrots out with me on harnesses so that they can go to some of these locations and be around the wild parrots.

"I throw down fresh fruit and seeds all the time when I'm at work so that these parrots have extra food.

"They are very friendly and get very close and have even landed on me at times if I have a fresh apple.

"They are very well adjusted to urban and suburban environments, bearing in mind they originated from India and other places that are nowhere near London or Kent."

One rumour claims the birds were introduced to London deliberately by American rock legend, Jimi Hendrix, who famously releasing two birds on Carnaby Street in the 1960s.

They now inhabit the famous London parks of Richmond Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Primrose Hill and Hampstead Heath in flocks of up to 30 birds.

Another story suggests they bred after escaping from Shepperton Film Studios during the making of the 1951 movie The African Queen.

But the parakeets could also have been the descendants of unwanted pets released by their previous owners.