Filming the wildlife of London requires an intrepid, agile presenter, willing to lie on damp grass after dark to encounter hedgehogs, scale heights to hold a peregrine falcon chick, and stake out a Tottenham allotment to get within touching distance of wary wild foxes.

Step forward Sir David Attenborough, who spent his 100th summer seeking out the hidden nature of his home city for an unusually personal and intimate BBC documentary.

Wild London, which will be broadcast on BBC One on New Year’s Day, features 99-year-old Attenborough in front of the cameras more than in any of his recent natural history blockbusters as he demonstrates he has lost none of his affectionate rapport with wild creatures.