New homes being built in a mid-Norfolk village are to have special bricks which provide a home for swifts.

Hopkins Homes has installed more than 100 'swift bricks' at four of its ongoing developments, including at Swanton Vale in Swanton Morley, near Dereham.

Since 1995, the swift population has fallen by more than 60pc, resulting in the species recently being added to the RSPB's red list - the highest conservation priority.

They tend to reside in gaps in homes or other buildings, meaning their nests are lost when renovation or demolition work is carried out.

For its 'swift bricks' project, Hopkins has partnered with Action for Swifts - a group which has been dedicated to protecting and reversing the decline since 1995.

It supplied the homebuilder with integral 's bricks', which are seen as providing a high-quality space for the birds with a secure nest chamber.

Swift bricks have also been installed at a development in Beccles.