ly ▁escaped ▁from ▁a ▁pet ▁shop ▁in ▁Sun bury - on - Th ames ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁ ▁Rom antic ▁theories ▁associated ▁with ▁film ▁stud ios ▁and ▁rock ▁stars ▁are ▁considered ▁f anc iful , ▁however , ▁and ▁most ▁orn ith olog ists ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁original ▁birds ▁probably ▁escaped ▁from ▁av i aries ▁before ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁ ▁In ▁terms ▁of ▁ge ographic ▁origin , ▁the ▁British ▁birds ▁are ▁considered ▁a ▁hy brid ▁population ▁of ▁two ▁Asian ▁sub species , ▁P . k . ▁bore alis ▁and ▁P . k . ▁man ill ensis . ▁ ▁Population ▁in ▁Britain ▁▁ ▁Esc aped ▁par ake ets ▁have ▁been ▁sp otted ▁in ▁Britain ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁The ▁earliest ▁recorded ▁sight ing ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁in ▁Nor folk , ▁and ▁par ake ets ▁were ▁also ▁seen ▁in ▁D ul wich ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 3 ▁and ▁B ri xt on ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 4 . ▁Par ake ets ▁continued ▁to ▁escape ▁capt ivity , ▁but ▁populations ▁repeatedly ▁died ▁out ▁until ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁when ▁the ▁species ▁began ▁to ▁bre ed ▁and ▁persist ▁in ▁London . ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁Cro yd on , ▁they ▁spread ▁to ▁W ray s bury , ▁B rom ley ▁and ▁E sh er . ▁The ▁numbers ▁remained ▁very ▁low , ▁however , ▁until ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s , ▁when ▁the ▁population ▁appeared ▁to ▁start ▁increasing ▁rapidly