IT'S enough to drive any self-respecting squirrel nuts. But Arfur the grey squirrel has somehow learned to cope with being the only one of his kind without a tail.

The mystery of how Arfur came to lose his bushy tail is baffling wildlife experts in the North-East.

He has become a local celebrity since he started popping into gardens backing on to Normanby Road cemetery, in Middlesbrough, when he was a baby.

Residents have nicknamed him Arfur because it looks like half of him is missing.

Arfur could be the luckiest squirrel alive, because experts believe the most likely explanation is that he somehow survived a close shave with a predator as a baby, but lost his prized possession in the process.

They also say it is amazing that he has coped in the wild because squirrels depend on their tails for balance when they are hopping from tree to tree.

But far from getting dizzy and falling from high branches, Arfur appears to have learned to cope admirably with his disability.

Margaret Bishop, of Spencer Road, Teesville, said: "He's a funny sight but it doesn't seem to bother him. He's very agile. He scampers down from his tree in the cemetery, scuttles along the garden fence and pinches nuts from the bird table.

"But he's very timid. He's off like greased lightning as soon as a bird comes near, which makes us think he's had a bad experience in the past."

Phil Gates, senior lecturer in botany at Durham University and former chairman of Durham Wildlife Trust, said he had never heard of a squirrel without a tail.

"I've never encountered anything like it in 25 years of wildlife conversation.

"There may be a very small chance it is genetic or been involved in some kind of accident.

"But the most likely explanation is a predator attack, although it would have had to be extremely lucky to get away."

Mr Gates said all kinds of predators - including sparrow hawks, foxes, stoats, or cats - could attack a young squirrel.

As well as using their tails for balance, squirrels also use them for sending signals, waving them around when they are angry.

They are also important during courtship so Arfur may be having trouble attracting a mate.

"Squirrels are incredibly adapatable, so if any animal was going to survive this kind of misfortune, it would be a squirrel," said Mr Gates.