Conservationists in South Tyneside fear that swift chicks were thrown into a skip during renovation work on council houses in Jarrow, in apparent breach of laws protecting nesting birds. The Northern Swifts Group was alerted to the destruction of at least one nest on Tuesday, and a single dehydrated swiftlet was rescued from a badly damaged nest and is now stabilising at a local wildlife centre. The case matters because swifts are in steep decline and the incident highlights how building and renovation work can prove fatal for the birds, as well as raising questions about whether council contractors were properly briefed.

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act it is illegal to disturb wild birds' nests while they are in use or being built, and South Tyneside council has suspended further work and launched an investigation, requesting a full report from the contractor, John Flowers Ltd, which declined to answer questions. Sue Hope of the NSG said it was unlikely only one nest had been lost, as swifts nest in colonies with two or three chicks per nest, noting she saw at least 10 swifts circling the site. UK swift numbers have fallen by around 70% since 1995; the government refused in May to require "swift bricks" (costing about £35) in new English homes, though they are mandatory in Scotland, and a similar row erupted in April over a Derbyshire rail viaduct refurbishment.