JASPER the African Grey parrot has become so popular since he arrived at a Bolton garden centre five years ago that he now gets his own Christmas cards!

But Jasper's no ordinary bird. He leads an aristocratic life in the summer house of the Barton Grange Garden Centre in Wigan Road -- luxuriating in the kind of temperatures he could expect in Africa.

Staff reckon he should have been called Rory -- after Rory Bremner -- instead of Jasper because he's such a master of impersonation.

Jasper is looked after by Ian Bulpit, manager of the pets and aquatics section, and the pair have developed a close bond. Ian takes Jasper home with him when the centre is closed.

But Ian's cross whippet dog Toby is always glad to see the back of the pesky parrot. Jasper does a perfect copy of Ian's whistle -- so Toby responds by sprinting to wherever the sound is coming from, only to find the parrot squawking his head off.

"It's amazing." said Ian. "It sounds exactly like me whistling. And when Toby barks, Jasper does a perfect copy of that too."

At the garden centre, Jasper can often be seen sitting on the counter, greeting customers with "My name's Jasper, who's a pretty boy then?"

And then he breaks into whistling the Laurel and Hardy theme tune.

"He's so popular that some elderly people come here just to see him." said Ian. "I was in Manchester the other day and somebody stopped me to ask how Jasper was. And he's had quite a few Christmas cards over the years."