PEOPLE at a care home in Thurrock welcomed two unexpected visitors last week.

Widget and Pringle the Humboldt penguins walked around the lounge of Cedar House on Southend Road in Stanford-le-Hope, greeting residents, posing by the chairs and even sitting on several laps.

The two aquatic birds live at Heythrop Zoo near Oxford and are quite used to visiting different care homes in England as a form of therapy.

This week they pottered into the lounge at the Cedar House Christian Care home on Southend Road.

The smile-raising visit was organised by the home's registered manager Emma Kinsella who said: "I saw the penguins visit a home in a post online and thought it would be wonderful if they could come to us. Even though it's a couple of hours drive away they said yes and it's been a really lovely afternoon, something very different that I am sure our residents and their families will remember for a long time."

A spokesperson for the zoo said: "These penguins are not only comfortable and familiar with travelling, but we believe they show positive behaviour signs when interacting with different people … they are used to and therefore not stressed by the presence of human beings.

'It is the belief of Heythrop Zoo that by bringing unusual and undomesticated species to the attention of the general public – particularly when accompanied by educational talks – they raise community awareness that indirectly aids conservation."

The penguins, which are native to Peru and Chile, were pictured waddling around as residents looked on – and even perched on several laps during their visit.