An “unusual amount” of dead pigeons have mysteriously been spotted in Marlborough than usual, with residents raising questions as to the cause.

Several people have noticed the issue, sparking concerns over whether they are dying due to Avian Flu, natural causes or something else.

Alfred Game is a former biologist and lives in Marlborough and found four dead birds and one distressed one while taking his dog for a walk.

He told this newspaper: “What concerned me when I found them actually wasn’t Avian Flu, but whether they were infected with something that could harm my dog.

“I thought to myself- is it something happening in other places or is it happening here, and whether it was because of something somebody had done or something else, so I was just curious really… To be honest I don’t know what is causing it- it could be Avian Flu but it could be something else.

“I was intrigued and ended up bringing it to the attention of the council.

“I don’t want to make it sound worse than it is, but there does seem to be more dying than usual… There is also something called Kenca which is a frequent disease that affects birds and I thought could be related to the warmer weather conditions we have been seeing as it is quite seasonal so the fact that we’ve had a weird summer may have something to do with it.

“Someone does need to have a good look at what could be causing it.”

Alfred also shared his concerns on Facebook, asking whether other people had noticed an "unusual number of dead pigeons", to which residents suggested that it could be due to Avian Flu.

The UK Government’s current advice for all bird keepers, whether you have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock is to keep a close watch on them for signs of disease and maintain good biosecurity at all times.

If you have any concerns about the health of your birds, seek prompt advice from your vet.

You should register your poultry, even if only kept as pets, so the government can contact you during an outbreak, as this is a legal requirement if you have 50 or more birds.

Wiltshire Council was asked for more information about the situation, but has not yet responded to the request.