'Hostility' over curb on wild bird feeding in city

Workers trying to clear up bird poop in a city centre have been "greeted with hostility from people" when asking them not to feed wild birds, a council said.

Peterborough City Council is trying to discourage residents from feeding wild birds in public areas as it looks to cut down on cleaning costs of about £5,000 a year, and make the city centre more attractive to shoppers and visitors.

It said "large numbers of people feeding birds in concentrated urban areas can create problems for other wildlife, for people shopping or visiting and the environment".

Speaking about the "hostility" shown towards its city impact team, the council said: "There is no need for this."

In a statement on its website, it said: "The issue isn't necessarily that birds shouldn't be fed, it's that large numbers of people feeding birds in concentrated urban areas can create problems for other wildlife, for people shopping or visiting and the environment."

It said regular feeding could attract large numbers of birds - particularly pigeons - leading to overcrowding and competition for food, as well as increasing aggression.

Accumulated droppings could also increase opportunities for disease transmission, which while unlikely to affect the public, could lead to risks for those clearing it and an increased opportunity for diseases such as avian flu to spread.

It also warned that uneaten food could encourage rats, and the acidity of bird droppings could corrode street furniture if not removed.

"Large concentrations of pigeons and other birds produce substantial amounts of droppings - that mess and fouling then needs to be cleared up by our city impact team."

Chris Wiggin, the council's Liberal Democrat cabinet member for environment, said: "We are fully committed to keeping our city centre looking clean to help ensure the area is a welcoming and vibrant place for residents, shoppers and visitors alike.

"The removal of bird mess and associated litter is carried out as part of our general cleansing programme, which sees our teams washing down benches and other pedestrianised areas daily, which costs the council in the region of £5,000 per year."

The council said it did not want to discourage birds, but to avoid "creating artificial feeding hotspots and an increased need for cleaning and manpower to deal with it".

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