Memories of the peacocks of Museum Gardens have been stirred by stories of their decline.

This pictures of one of the splendid birds was taken by Margaret Fair, of Huntington, several years ago.

She said she was extremely sad to think that they had gone - and very glad she had taken these photographs to keep her memories of them.

"I was in the gardens quite recently watching a TV series being filmed, and thought that maybe it was too early in season for the peacocks to be out when I did not see them, and did not realise they had gone permanently.

"I used to enjoy seeing them perched on the walls, and hearing their haunting cries."

Only two males have been seen in the gardens in the last few months, and one of those has recently been found dead.

Kaeli Moorhouse, who works at the Theatre Royal in St Leonard's Place, said she feared the dead bird was a peacock with whom she had struck up a rapport while visiting the gardens.

"On the days I didn't see him roaming the gardens, he would visit my place of work, where I'd feed him sunflower seeds in the afternoons.

"The other staff and patrons of the theatre enjoyed his visits as much as I did. It was so comical the way he'd wait on the patio for me, sometimes pecking at the glass door as if to say: 'Come on, where are you? I'm hungry'."

She feared it was her friend that had been found dead, as she had not seen him for a couple of weeks. She added something should be done to protect the remaining bird, and offered any help necessary to ensure a future for peacocks and peahens in the gardens.

* 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: 12:25 Friday, March 02, 2001