Worcester Cathedral welcomes first peregrine chicks for 12 years

The four chicks will be monitored by a remote camera by the British Trust for Ornithology

For the first time in 12 years, peregrine chicks have hatched at Worcester Cathedral.

Earlier in the year a pair of the falcons nested in a box set up in the tower and four eggs were laid.

They all hatched at the end of April and a team from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) was able to get up to check them and attach rings to them.

The cathedral set up a camera beside the nest and hopes to stream images on its website in the coming weeks.

The BTO was also measure the chicks' wing spans, weigh them and and record them on the national database.

Along with the cathedrals' own biodiversity adviser Chris Dobbs, it plans to keep a close eye on them as they feed, develop, grow and finally fledge.

A pair of mating peregrines set up a nest at the cathedral earlier in the year

The chicks are expected to start to fly at around 45-50 days old and they can live for 15 years or more.

Mr Dobbs said it was "fantastic news for the cathedral and the city as a whole".

He also said peregrines "love cathedral towers because they are similar to their natural habitat nesting sites, which include quarry faces, sea cliffs, and mountainsides".

Because peregrines mate for life, he hopes the pair will now return for many years to come.

The cathedral is inviting people to help name the birds and has asked for suggestions to be emailed in or shared via social media.

The four favourites will be announced in June.