A PEREGRINE falcon that fell from its nest, was mobbed by gulls and then rescued by Hinkley Point B workers has flown to freedom.

The bird has been released by a charity and comes in only the second year in which the rare falcons have successfully fledged at the power station.

“Seeing the video of this bird flying off is such a wonderful sight,” said Hannah Dyer, environmental safety group head at Hinkley Point B.

“It has not had the easiest start in life so seeing it take off with such renewed confidence is a lovely thing for us at the station to see.”

More than 20 years ago workers at the power station constructed a platform for birds of prey on the side of the main reactor hall building.

The birds nest in hard-to-reach high spots, meaning the side of the reactor building is a great spot for them.

Unfortunately, none of the pairs of falcons that set up home on the platform successfully reared young until last summer.

Then this summer a pair of falcons once again set up home at Hinkley B and had two youngsters.

Over recent weeks the young birds tried their wings several times with one trying, failing and falling to an area beneath the platform where it was then attacked by seagulls which also live on the site.

Staff from Apple Technical Solutions saw the drama unfold and scared the gulls away and then recovered the youngster, sending it to wildlife charity Secret World to help it recover.

Then last week the charity released the bird into the wild.

“Watching that video was quite inspiring to see,” said Hannah.

“Those of us on station have seen the platform so many times we sort of forget it’s there.

"To know that this year, for the second year in a row, it’s hosted these threatened birds and provided a sanctuary for them to further increase the national population is great.

"Putting up that nesting station all those years ago was a small thing, yet it has paid off once again and helped bolster the nation’s biodiversity.”