A young gull that hatched from a nest on the upper floor of an Ashford town centre car park looks ready to fly the nest.

The bird's parents set up home on the top floor of the Edinburgh Road car park back in May.

This led to Ashford Borough Council, who own the car park, cordoning off a block of car parking space and erecting warning signs for motorists and pedestrians not to disturb the nesting herring gulls.

The bollards and signs were put in place because herring gulls are a protected species and there were concerns the parents might dive-bomb or even attack anyone going near the nest.

There were soon indications that the female gull was sitting on one, possible two, eggs.

The parents then guarded the nest and became very agitated when any pedestrians went anywhere near it.

In June one baby gull hatched from the nest.

At the time, Kentish Express wildlife expert Owen Leyshon, from the Romney Marsh Countryside Project, advised people not to go near the nest.

Over the past couple of weeks Kentish Express news editor Alastair Irvine has been up to see the gull family several times.

He said: "The difference in the chick is amazing. What was initially like a cute ball of feathers has developed into a proper bird. It looks like she or he could be flying soon.

"One day when I was up there it was flexing one of its wings. The parents are still very protective although they do both fly off for short periods of time, leaving the young gull on its own.

"It will be interesting to see when it does make its first flight."

Owen Leyshon says seagull chicks are dependent on their parents for the first three months of their lives.

By then, the fledglings would be able to feed themselves, although parents may continue to care for fledglings until they are six months old.