Pigeon owner fined £1,000 over bird noise louder than a plane
A PIGEON keeper has been forced to get rid of his 15 pet birds after the “unrelenting” noise was found to be louder than a passing plane.
Alan Pidgley, 70, was taken to court and fined nearly £1,000 after complaints from his neighbours.
The complainant said the noise from the birds was so “distressing” that her and her husband have been forced to try to move from the New Forest village.
The row over the birds in Hordle, Hants culminated in the grandfather of six being served with a noise abatement order by the local authority.
Environmental health officers deemed the birds’ cooing and flapping to be a “statutory nuisance”.
Mr Pidgley, who also keeps rescued chickens, tortoises and rabbits as well as 50 fish and a dog, found the birds in an online advertisement. He converted a shed behind his house for the birds but within months his neighbour complained. Duncan Milne, prosecuting for New Forest District Council, told Southampton magistrates’ court that a complaint was made in April last year.
The council started an investigation to measure disruption, and environmental health officers suggested Mr Pidgley reduce the number of pigeons to 10, removing eggs and relocating them, Mr Milne said.
“Mr Pidgley said he would move the pigeons … and that feeding the pigeons was part of his wife’s Hindu religion. But further recordings found 30 incidents of noise – described as unrelenting – which amounted to a statutory nuisance.” Sound recording equipment was installed in March.
Mr Pidgley insisted he took steps to reduce the sound. Magistrates ordered him to pay a fine of £500 and £450 in costs after he admitted failing to comply with the order.
“It will be heartbreaking to see them go after two years,” he said.