BRADFORD on Avon’s swift group will be taking part in the first ever National Swift Awareness Week from June 16 to 23.

Events during the week include a display in Bradford on Avon library and stands at the Hilperton fete and Fitzmaurice School’s Strawberry Fair, both on Saturday.

There will also be a swift walk on the evening of June 21 with the local Walkers are Welcome group.

Tickets are available from Holidays and Cruises, Silver Street, Bradford on Avon.

Beer mats advertising the week and with links to websites showing what more people can do are also on display at various town pubs.

Spokesman Rowena Quantrill said: “Swift numbers crashed by 53 per cent between 1995 and 2016 according to the British Trust for Ornithology and lack of nesting spaces are thought to be partly to blame for this decline.

“The birds return to the same space year after year and if they then find this blocked they may not breed at all that year.”

Group member Kate Nicholls added: “Swifts are such a feature of the summertime environment in this area and we really want to raise awareness of how people can help to keep our skies alive with these joyous flyers.

“We are hoping that this year they will find the nest boxes we have installed in the tower of Holy Trinity - they have certainly been showing a lot of interest in them.

“Swifts and swallows really struggled on migration this year due to adverse weather conditions and climate change may have quite an impact on them in the future so we need to do all we can to help.”