Do you remember the Museum Garden peacocks?

These photos from our archive prove they weren't a figment of your imagination.

For 70 years the peacocks delighted visitors to the garden - but not everyone was keen.

At one point the council received at least five complaints a day from residents furious about how much noise they made or when they strayed into nearby roads and shops.

In the end it seems nothing was done to increase their numbers and the peacock population dwindled until there was a solitary male living in the park in 2001.

That year The Press reported how opinions about the peacocks were divided.

John Hampshire, the Yorkshire Philosophical Society's liaison officer with City of York Council, said that to be happy a peacock needed a harem of six peahens - so sustaining two peacocks in the gardens would need a total population of 14 to 15.

When peacock numbers were higher - though never at that level - the museum would get at least five calls a day complaining about the noise they made, and their straying on to nearby roads and even into shops.

They also scratched up plants, in what was a botanical garden.

"It's a shame they've gone, but I don't know whether the pros outweigh the cons," he said.

John Shannon, the chairman of York Civic Trust, said: "I think they are a fascinating feature of the Museum Gardens, and those responsible should seek to ensure their continued presence.

"They are a great attraction to our many visitors. York must be one of the few cities in England where they are kept.

"In springtime the display of the peacocks' plumage is a very worthy sight, so I hope steps may be taken to increase their number."

At the time, people using Museum Gardens expressed disappointment about their disappearance.

David and Kay Hyde, from Driffield, said their absence was a "terrible shame". Mr Hyde added: "I thought they were quite an attraction, really. It used to be nice when you came into the park." A York resident, who did not wish to be named, said the birds were colourful and lovely to look at, though she wondered what nearby residents thought about the noise they made.