A SQUIRREL is driving tourists nuts with a new shocking hairstyle in a Weardale woodland.

Punky, a red squirrel, is causing anarchy with the blonde mohawk-cut he recently developed at Killhope: The North of England Lead Mining Museum.

The rebellious looking squirrel – with the blonde hair sprouting from the top of each ear – was spotted raiding a feeder in a woodland area around the museum and he soon became a favourite with staff and visitors.

Museum staff are unsure as to where Punky’s funky hair has come from.

Tina Raynor, commercial services manager for the museum, explained how Punky had only recently undergone this drastic change.

She said: “Punky wasn’t always punk – we think he is around five years old. I’ve found some pictures from a few years ago, which we think are of him, when his tufts weren’t noticeably blonde.