Man-made love nests are helping safeguard the future of one of Britain's rarest breeding seabirds.

At least 72 roseate tern chicks have hatched this year on the tiny Coquet Island, off the Northumberland coast.

The success is thanks to the island warden and his team who made nesting box "terraces" at the beginning of the breeding season.

The dry stone boxes - which come complete with their own patios - have helped produce the biggest hatch since the 1970s.

'Growing steadily'

About 75% of the UK population of roseate terns nest on the 14-acre island.

The roseate terns travel from Africa to return to the same nest site each year.

Dr Paul Morrison, of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), said there has been a long-term decline in the numbers of the birds breeding in the UK.

He told the BBC: "We are not quite sure why this is happening.

Coquet Island is just 14 acres in size

"We have 42 pairs on Coquet at the moment and the numbers are going up ever so slowly.

"There was 18 pairs in 1987 and the numbers have been growing steadily since that time.

"The Farne Islands have only one pair.

"It must be good feeding around here and the habitat seems to be ideal for them."

A lot of the work done on Coquet Island has been based on the success of Roseate terns on Rockabill, Dublin.

It was discovered that the birds used the nest boxes in preference to open scrapes as shelter from the weather and predators.

Dr Morrison added: "This terracing idea with dry stone walls seemed to be the way forward.

"Now we have got our own Roseate tern terrace at Coquet."