A killer bird that travels faster than any other creature on the planet has set up a nest on top of a council building.

A pair of peregrine falcons have been roosting on Surrey County Council headquarters in Penrhyn Road, Kingston.

The male and female duo was spotted by facilities manager Steven Taylor while in the staff car park.

The nature enthusiast took some photos to show experts at the RSPB, who confirmed they were rare peregrine falcons.

The pair, thought to have been on the roof for about a month, became an instant hit with councillors, residents and workers.

Councillor Ian Lake said: “They are a protected species and we will do our best to look after them and make sure they are not disturbed.

“They are very impressive birds who can apparently swoop at 200mph an hour and of course are good at clearing up the feral pigeon population.

“They have proved very popular at the offices and with local residents and also I believe with twitchers so we are expecting a lot of visitors.”

Scientists have claimed that the peregrine, which kills its prey with a single blow, can swoop vertically at speeds of up to 186mph.

After a population crash in the 1960s, its numbers have recovered steadily, with recent surveys revealing 1,500 peregrine pairs in the UK.

Bird enthusiasts hope the pair use county hall to breed and have called on the council to install a webcam for twitchers.

Nature expert Tony Drakeford said: “It is great news that these birds are nesting in London. They are great to have around because they feed off pigeons and help keep the population in the capital down.

“It would be fantastic to get a camera up there so that we might be able to study them. It would have to be on a neighbouring building because if they are disturbed they are like to roost somewhere else.”

A Surrey County Council spokesman said the council was in talks with the RSPB to decide what to do with the impressive birds.