A TOWN hall has welcomed three new constituents - and it's bad news for the local pigeons.

Three peregrine falcon chicks have hatched on a balcony at Bolton's civic headquarters.

The proud mum and dad - Greater Manchester's sixth breeding pair - were enticed to the building with a special platform to help tackle the town's feral pigeon problem.

Judith Smith, Greater Manchester's county bird recorder, said the chicks were being fed pigeons by their parents.

She said: "The chicks look very healthy and we are all delighted. It is great news.

"They are about eight to nine days old now and full of white down. We will be fitting them with rings when they are bigger, possibly next week."

Fierce

The new arrivals are the latest additions to Manchester's peregrine falcon population.

Pictures of four chicks from a pair nesting at a secret location in Manchester city centre were revealed last week. The falcons - fierce hunters that can fly at up to 100mph - have also nested at Manchester town hall.

Bolton's pair were first sighted last September.

Experts built a tray in a bid to encourage them to nest on a balcony on the north side of the town hall near the clock tower.

Judith said council bosses were keen to attract the falcons because of large numbers of feral pigeons. She said: "There are three chicks and one unhatched egg. It is a young pair, and these are probably their first chicks. They will be able to fly in about six weeks, and then be taught to hunt. After that, they will have to find territories for themselves."

Plans to site a web-cam near the nest are being discussed so that people can log on and monitor their progress.

In the 1950s, there were just 360 breeding pairs of peregrine falcons nationwide. Now the figure is 1,500, and changing landscapes and increasing numbers mean they are becoming a regular sight in towns and cities.