Sefton Council is working with high-street shop owners to discourage people from feeding pigeons.

While providing birds in the garden is great and helps them thrive throughout the year, feeding pigeons on our streets can lead to problems. These include littering, an accumulation of bird faeces and potential pest control issues.

Concern

Traders in Southport’s Cambridge Arcade are concerned about a build-up in pigeon numbers caused by people feeding them. The are worried it is contributing to a negative public image of the area and could discourage people from visiting their shops.

Sefton Council has already begun work to deter pigeons by erecting bird scaring devices such as kites around Cambridge Arcade. Ongoing maintenance work is expected to reduce drastically the number of birds that make it their home.

However, members of the public still feeding pigeons will continue to attract them and may entice them back once the works to refurbish Cambridge Arcade are complete.

Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regulation and Compliance said: “I know many of us are very fond of wild birds and the work we do to feed them in our gardens is in some cases important for their survival.

"Particularly during the winter.

Problems

“But the results of the seemingly innocent habit of feeding pigeons on our town centre streets often attracts large numbers to a single space. This can leave public spaces looking unsightly and encourages problems such as their mess and litter from uneaten food which can lead to further pest issues.

“This issue is not unique to Cambridge Arcade, and I am sure shop owners, restaurateurs and other businesses across Sefton are equally concerned about pigeons and the other pests they might attract.”

The British Pest Control Association says the best way to get rid of pigeons is to remove their food source. On its website the Association advises restrict access to food and says, ‘Most importantly - don’t feed the pigeons!’ 

Cllr Lappin continued: “The act of throwing food waste onto the ground, even if it is intended for birds, is still  considered littering and can result in people being given a Fixed Penalty Notice. 

“Not only could people potentially face a littering penalty but that litter, which is often bread scraps and chips, is simply not healthy for the birds anyway.”

John Savage of MIH Bizarre in Cambridge Walks, reiterated the need for greater responsibility from the general public.

Disease

He said: “People may not realise the impact that pigeon faeces can have, including the increase in risk from respiratory diseases and the lowering of the appearance of several areas around the town centre.

“A customer of mine who uses a manual wheelchair told me that when he travels through areas that are heavily soiled with pigeon faeces, it is transferred to his hands.

“It’s not a nice experience for the many wheelchair users in our town or anyone else for that matter.

“Please work with us and together we can all make Southport a nicer environment for all.”