Pigeons shot in Blackpool town centre car park
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The birds, which had been nesting over the shutters at the front of Talbot Road car park, were shot by a pest control company commissioned by Blackpool Council last week.
The company confirmed the cull had been carried out due to a large build-up of bird poo – known as guano - affecting the shutters. Blackpool Council said it was ‘unfortunate, but necessary’.
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Hide AdMel Greenhalgh, of South Shore-based Brambles Wildlife Rescue, said: “We have said to the Council if ever they need help removing birds humanely, we will do it. There’s a number of people willing to help. We have expressed this to John Blackledge (director of community and environmental services) previously.
"We are exceptionally disappointed given that we have offered previously to assist the council in safe removal of wild birds if we can, without charge, just as we have protected the wildlife on Stanley Park all winter whilst the lake was closed due to avian flu. That we were not approached to help, and the Council chose to have birds shot, is extremely disappointing.”
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it illegal to kill wild birds and remove or destroy their nests unless an exception is made under a general licence, which allowed authorised people to kill certain species of wild birds to prevent serious damage.
Birds that can legally be destroyed must ‘represent a demonstrable risk to public health and safety’, and cannot be killed or their nests interferred with solely to protect the fabric of a building.
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Hide AdIt is understood that metal spikes have now been installed at the car park to prevent nesting, however, Mel said these could result in further deaths as birds may be injured by the spikes.
“Plastic spikes will stop them roosting in the same way, and are not as harmful as metal spikes,” she said. "It’s inhumane using these methods when there are more practical methods we know they have access too, because they have used in other areas of Blackpool.
"It’s unnecessary cruelty. I understand people don’t want to see pigeons everywhere, but they should use the methods which are less cruel.”
A Blackpool Council spokesman said: “We are aware that during essential maintenance works on Talbot multi-storey car park, a local firm of contractors were required to cull four pigeons that were in the shutters. This was unfortunate, but necessary to allow cleaning and repairs to be undertaken to protect the integrity of the building. At no time has the property team been approached by any rescue groups prior to this incident.”