ONE of Europe's rarest birds has successfully bred in Yorkshire for the first time in decades - sparking a scramble to keep them safe.

The distinctive mating call of the corncrake was heard by a farmer in the Yorkshire Dales earlier in the summer.

And chicks were finally spotted in August - after a team from the Department for the Environment, Foods and Rural Affairs developed a management plan to allow the farmer to continue working while protecting the birds at the same time.

Corncrake populations have declined dramatically over the last 100 years and the bird is listed as a globally threatened species.

Although concerted action in the Nineties halted the decline, the UK's small population is confined to the north and north-west of Scotland.

Defra minister Elliot Morley praised the rapid action in the Dales. He said: "I'm impressed and heartened at the speed and effectiveness with which everyone involved in this extraordinary project acted."

"The result is a significant conservation achievement, and very exciting news for the English countryside."

Defra's senior adviser for the Dales, Martin O'Hanlon, said: "It is tantalising to think that one of Europe' s rarest birds may have returned to this part of the country.

"Once we knew the bird was there we took every precaution we could to ensure that if any eggs were laid, the chicks would have the best possible chance of survival.

"We agreed a new cutting date with the farmer, along with a bird-friendly mowing pattern which would allow any chicks to escape to the edge of the field. It is clear that the farmer's careful management has paid off."

All those involved are keeping the actual breeding location a closely guarded secret.