The rare terns, which were hit by bird flu, have a successful breeding season, the RSPB says.

A successful breeding season for a colony of one of the UK’s rarest seabirds depleted by bird flu is giving conservationists “hope for the future”.

Roseate terns on Coquet Island, off the Northumberland coast, saw a record number of 191 chicks hatched this year, with 92% going on to fledge.

The island hosts the only colony in the UK of the threatened species, which are ranked at the highest level of conservation concern.

But the RSPB said it was “too early” to say if it was a sign of recovery from the avian influenza of 2022 and 2023.