Man ruffles his neighbours’ feathers over feeding birds

Adrian Ford, 50, of South Park, Lytham, has been accused of “excessive feeding” by neighbours for the past year which has led to pigeons and seagulls consistently returning to the area.

Mr Ford feeds the birds spaghetti and porridge oats once a day - but his hobby has now landed him in hot water with the authorities.

Fylde Council has issued the bird lover with a Community Protection Notice (CPN) to try to ensure he stops encouraging birds to his garden.

Mr Ford said: “If there is a problem why have the council not tried to speak to me?

“I pay my council tax so I feel like I have a right to a fair hearing.

“I’ve asked for answers from council officers on what I can do but not heard anything.

“Just like millions of other people in the country, I love to see different wildlife in my garden.

“I feel like what the council have issued me is completely over the top and unnecessary. It’s gone from one extreme to total unfairness.”

The CPN has been issued on the grounds of nuisance and anti-social behaviour under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

Fylde Council first received a complaint last April and have since been monitoring the situation.

A Fylde Council spokesman said: “There have been a number of complaints made against Mr Ford by neighbours that the feeding is at a degree which is causing nuisance.

“We have written to Mr Ford on a number of occasions asking him to stop and since had continued complaints.

“Therefore, the council has now served him with a Community Protection Notice on April 22 which came into effect on April 24.

“It orders him to desist from feeding the birds and if he persists we can take him to court.”

Mr Ford disputes that his level of bird feeding is 
“excessive”.

He said: “I would like the council to define what excessive means, I would constitute 23 hours a day seven days a week as excessive, not the once a day I do.”

The 50-year-old said he stopped putting food on the grass after a pigeon was attacked by a sparrow hawk 18-months-ago.

Mr Ford said: “I used to put porridge oats and a half pan of spaghetti on the grass for the birds but after the attack, I switched to the garden shed to give them more of a chance of getting away.”

He does not believe feeding the birds spaghetti or porridge is a problem.

He said: “I have consulted the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and they say you can feed birds potatoes and cabbages, it’s not like I am going to these extents or doing anything wrong.”

Under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, a council may issue a Community Protection Notice if it feels like the conduct an individual is having a detrimental effect, of a persistent or continuing nature, on the quality of life of those in the surrounding 
locality.

If the person is deemed to not comply with the notice then they can be taken to court and fined up to £20,000.

Three neighbours have issued complaints to the council since April 2014.

A Fylde Council spokesman added: “Neighbours are complaining that the feeding is not attracting your usual garden birds like sparrows and thrushes but seagulls, crows and pigeons.”

Neighbours of Mr Ford did not want to speak on the matter but The Gazette understands their complaints focus on the increase in bird droppings and left over food that attracts larger birds such as pigeons and crows which they claim cause high levels of noise.