Newly born coots have been spotted on Regent’s Canal in Little Venice, Paddington.

The chicks are with its mother on a nest which is comprised of some of the detritus found in the canal.

Richard Bennett, Canal and River Trust environment manager, said: “Coots are the Wombles of the waterways, they’re really opportunistic in their choice of nesting material and sites.

“They’re pretty ingenious really, but the litter doesn’t reflect too well on us as human beings. The coots and their chicks are really popular with all the visitors to Little Venice, they’re bit like a celebrities at the moment.

“We’ve got queues of people lining up to get photos of them. We’re keeping an eye on them to make sure the chicks are OK, but so far they are a really happy family.”