NEWHAM'S bird population is in decline but numbers remain higher than the London average, according to figurs released by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

The organisation's annual Big Garden Birdwatch survey, which took place over two days in January, has revealed a sharp drop in the numbers of house sparrows and starlings.

An RSPB spokesman said Newham was doing better than many other parts of London because of a combination of open ground around the Lea valley, the river Thames and the high number of houses with gardens in the area.

He said that gardens provide food and shelter for birds and added: "Numbers are declining across London and nationally. We are losing green spaces, with people putting down decking and paving over front gardens for parking space."

His appeal to readers was: "If everyone with access to an outside wall, roof garden, windowsill or a city garden did their bit to grow plants suitable to feed and shelter our birds we could make a huge impact and boost numbers of starlings, sparrows, tits, finches, robins and wrens.

"When you have birds around you, you know your environment's doing well."