The last remaining peacock in York's Museum Gardens, which was thought to have flown the nest, appears to have come home to roost.

Staff at the Yorkshire Museum have made regular sightings of the peacock this week and Joe and Liz Raleigh, from Harrogate, snapped the proud bird outside the museum last Friday.

Liz emailed this stunning photograph because she knew the Evening Press had been highlighting the plight of the dwindling peacock population, once the pride of York.

She said: "I read your article about the Museum Gardens peacocks in the Evening Press. My husband and I were in York on March 2 and took these pictures."

Splendid though it is, this descendant of the once thriving family of peacocks, which has lived in the Museum Gardens for at least 70 years, looks likely to be the last of a dying breed.

One of the two male birds living in the gardens was recently found dead and a peahen and a chick, which were in the gardens last year, have moved away, leaving the solitary male.

If you have pictures or memories of the Museum Gardens peacocks or wish to express a view about them, please contact the newsdesk at the Evening Press at 76-86, Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN, email newsdesk@ycp.co.uk, telephone 01904 653051, or fax 01904 612853.

Updated: 11:14 Saturday, March 10, 2001