A rhea was spotted in Maple Cross just moments after something was seen bolting in front of a seven and a half tonne lorry.

Two workmen looking for potholes came across the six-foot-bird, which can reach speeds of up to 40mph, in Chalfont Road this morning.

Dubbed locally as Chris the Rhea, the bird which bares physical resemblances to an Ostrich, gave two workers a lucky glimpse before running off.

One of the men said: “We were driving the lorry down Chalfont Road, looking for potholes, when something ran out in front of the lorry.

“We got out of the lorry and had a look and it was just standing there.

“I called the police and they said do not approach it and they have been trying to catch it but they have not yet.

“We thought it was an Ostrich at first, but they said it was a rhea.

“At one point, I was about ten foot away from it because it ran back out into the road and went back into the woods.

“It was quite nice to see something like that.”