Beefeaters clip pair of raven's wings who pose flight risk from Tower

Only a handful of prisoners have ever managed to escape from the Tower of London in its 1,000-year history.

Those were inevitably on foot. But Beefeaters are now facing a new type of flight risk – from a pair of mischievous ravens.

The guards have had to clip both wings of the errant birds after they started to defy their Ravenmaster's calls, risking their safety – and that of the Crown.

Legend has it that if the ravens that guard the Tower of London ever leave, the Monarchy – and the kingdom – will fall.

Because of this, six ravens are always kept on site, along with a spare in case something happens to one of the other birds. To ensure they can't fly too far – and to protect them from the busy London traffic – Ravenmaster Chris Skaife usually clips just one wing.