Pigeons outsmart birds of prey at Holyrood

Scottish Parliament bosses have been urged to rethink spending £80,000 on using birds of prey to scare away pigeons. Hawks and falcons are brought in regularly to fly over Holyrood to deter pigeons. But MSPS say the pigeons got wise to the scheme and simply wait for them to be taken away by their handler before settling back on the roofs and ledges of the £414million building.

Miles Briggs, a Lothian Tory MSP, said it was time to reconsider spending so much money on the bird handler.

He said: “It has become a bit of a joke. The pigeons are sitting up on Arthur’s Seat waiting for him to go away.”