A peregrine falcon nesting at Winchester Cathedral has apparently scattered her eggs overnight.

Mel, who took over as the cathedral’s resident female falcon in March, after the previous bird Winnie was found dead, was incubating two eggs.

The eggs were seen pushed out of the nesting tray early on Monday.

Keith Betton of the Hampshire Ornithological Society said they were put back in place but there was only a “small chance” of them hatching.

Mr Betton, who manages the nesting site, said it was not clear how the eggs had ended up out of the nest, but the bird was “clearly stressed”.

It meant they were away from the warmth of the mother for four to five hours.

He said he made the “emotional call” to put them back in place after consulting a number of peregrine experts.