FILEY has become one of the country's top havens for birdwatchers, and many more are expected to visit the resort as a result of a scheme developed by the town's Ornithological Group.

Chairman Ian Robinson said: "Filey Bay is a natural haven for seabirds and the Brigg a point of salvation for thousands of birds migrating south.

"Their precarious journey across the North Sea is exhausting and countless numbers perish before they are able to reach the Brigg."

Now the group has leased a 17-acre clifftop field from Scarborough Borough Council, deepened and extended an ancient dew pond on the site, and hand-sown a crop of barley.

"Birds coming from the north will now have an extremely good refuge with food, shelter and fresh water" said Mr Robinson. "As a result, we are bringing countless numbers of bird-tourists to Filey and the town is now an official observatory of the British trust for Ornithology."