It gives thousands of visitors a bird's eye view as they are carried across a theme park, but now it has been brought to a halt after a pair of Canada geese chose to build a nest and lay their eggs directly underneath.

It gives thousands of visitors a bird's eye view as they are carried across a theme park, but now it has been brought to a halt after a pair of Canada geese chose to build a nest and lay their eggs directly underneath.

Managers at Pleasurewood Hills, near Lowestoft, have halted the busy Alpine chairlift while they seek specialist advice on the best course of action.

The birds have been regulars at the park since 2003, but have moved away from their usual nesting place in the reeds of a lake within the grounds.

Pleasurewood Hills general manager Yves Delhommeau said: “Our priority is to give the birds the best chance of successfully hatching the eggs.

“There is also the safety issue as the geese are fiercely protective and will not let anyone near the nest without hissing and charging.”

The geese laid five eggs at the beginning of last weekend, which will take between three and four weeks to hatch.

If the park gets the go-ahead to reopen the ride, it is likely that it will operate in only one direction to give the birds as much peace and quiet as possible. Mr Delhommeau added: “It's lovely to see wildlife in the park.

“We are fortunate to be surrounded by woodland and have many gardens in the park and attract all sorts of wildlife including deer and fox.

“The geese have been coming back to the park for a number of years, but this is the first time that they have chosen to nest and lay eggs in such a busy area.

“Not only are they right under the chairlift, they are also only about 100 yards from the busy building site of our new ride, with diggers and cranes operating throughout the day.”

The geese successfully raised a gosling a few years ago but last year their eggs were taken by foxes before they had time to hatch.