Plagued by pigeons
A PLAGUE of pigeons is making life a misery for families who say their gardens have become no-go areas filled with poo and feathers.
Margaret Miller says the feathered menaces are ruining the homes of herself and her neighbours in the small cul-de-sac.
She said: “The yard is always covered in pigeon poo, your car is always covered in it – there are quite a few houses with children in, they’re going outside to play and coming across dead birds and feathers.
“You can’t even put your feet outside some days. You can’t hang washing out in your yard. The council weren’t interested, we asked landlord Advance Northumberland to put some spikes up or something, but they said there wasn’t the money.”
Margaret says her neighbours in the six houses in Milburn Mews, Ashington, agree that the birds cause a serious problem – and they’re desperate for help.
“It’s always been a bit of a problem, but it got a lot worse when they put solar panels on the roofs, I think they like to sit on them” she said.
“Every day you’re getting their droppings on your feet, the dog is bringing it in on her paws – somebody needs to listen.”
Margaret, a nurse, says it’s not just that the constant mess is unpleasant; she’s also worried about the impact it could have on residents’ health, especially for young children.
The 54-year-old believes the pigeons started to appear after solar panels, which they seem to enjoy sitting on, were installed on the tops of their roofs.
But property owners Advance Northumberland say the issue began later. It’s thought the pigeon plague may also be linked to some locals feeding the messy birds. And the council-owned landlord says there’s nothing they can do to tackle the problem. Margaret’s suggestions of spikes, it claims, would not be effective.
A spokesperson for Advance Northumberland said: “We take all tenant’s issues and concerns very seriously, not least those which make reference to health and safety concerns, however in this instance we do not believe we are indeed able to take any steps which will rectify the problem. We sympathise with the tenants, and agree it is undoubtedly a nuisance, but it is not one that is caused by Advance Northumberland Homes. The issue does not exist due to disrepair, nor was it present at the commencement of the tenancy, or indeed the installation of the photovoltaic panels back in 2014. We have liaised with Environmental Health on this matter who have supported our stance that there is no action that we should be taking.”