Derby Cathedral falcons chick hatches

The peregrine falcons are monitored via webcam

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust lowered a hot water bottle on to the nest in March to melt the snow

The bottle was lowered 50ft (15m)

The first of the four eggs hatched on Friday

The falcon picked up the egg shell after the chick was hatched

The falcons were among the last in the UK to lay their eggs

A pair of peregrine falcons, whose nest was cleared of snow with the help of a dangling hot water bottle, have seen their first chick hatch.

The birds, which nest on the tower at Derby Cathedral, are being monitored on webcam by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.

In March, the trust was concerned bad weather would prevent the falcons from breeding.

They lowered a hot water bottle 50ft (15m) down the tower to melt the snow.

'Very exciting'

Nick Brown, the trust's inquiries officer, said: "It seems a long time since the eggs were laid but there's now a white, fluffy object underneath the female falcon.

"It does definitely mean the first egg has hatched."

The falcons, which have nested at the cathedral since 2006, were one of the last breeding pairs in the UK to lay their eggs.

The trust is now waiting for the remaining three eggs to hatch.

"It's very exciting," Mr Brown added. "The other three chicks are expected within the next day.

"It shows they have kept the eggs very warm over the last month when the weather has been pretty horrible."