Bird lovers in Swindon could unknowingly poison the birds they are trying to help.

The Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is warning that some peanuts in cheap bird feeders can attract a fungal disease which could prove fatal to feeding birds.

Spokeswoman Carolynn Jureidini said peanuts could carry a fungal disease called Aflatoxin which could decimate garden birds.

She said: "Unless the peanuts are toxin-free please don't use them at all.

"Aflatoxin is a fungus that develops in high temperatures and humidity.

"The problems of climate change have affected peanut crops and safe supplies are running thin."

She said that many cheap, bulk-bought peanuts could not be guaranteed toxin-free, and the trust was advising people to buy bird feed only from reputable suppliers such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

A good substitute was sunflower seeds but kitchen scraps such as cheese, fat, pastry, cooked rice or pasta also provided good sources of fat.