Thrigby Hall nesting white storks 'fail to breed'

2 August 2014 Last updated at 09:07

A pair of storks that sparked hopes of producing the UK's first chicks in a traditional nest for 600 years have failed to breed, experts said.

The white storks made their home on a chimney at Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens near Great Yarmouth in March.

But despite signs of mating rituals, the centre says it has not seen chicks.

The last record of white storks successfully breeding in a nest in Britain was at St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, in 1416.

Thrigby Hall manager Scott Bird, said the pair could be preparing their nest for the next breeding season.

'Lot of activity'

The birds are part of the collection at the wildlife gardens, which has been trying to get storks to nest for many years.

White storks in the wild often breed in continental Europe, migrating to southern Europe and Africa in winter.

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