A SUGGESTION that Marlborough's pigeon flock could be culled or given a contraceptive was made to town councillors on Monday.

The idea came from former mayor Coun Nick Fogg during a debate on how to lessen the nuisance caused by pigeon droppings.

The council's architect Malcolm Ward reported that refurbishment work being carried out on the town hall was going well.

Very delicately Mr Ward added: "It has been noted that the pigeons are very productive with their waste."

He said the contractors Carty had brought in consultants to advise on how to reduce the number of pigeons settling on the town hall and the amount of muck they deposit on the roof and in the gutters.

Coun Fogg mentioned the possibility of a cull and asked: "Why are we being so sentimental?"

He said: "Experience historically has shown that if the pigeons cannot land on one place they will land on another.

"Erecting more anti-pigeon defences will merely move the problem to other buildings including those nearby that the town council also own.

"Why should we not cull the

pigeons?"

Town clerk Graham Gittins said: "We went into this in great detail two years ago and were told then that culling had

little effect and that they were laying again within six weeks."

Mr Gittins said one suggestion made to the town council, and apparently successful in other towns, was to erect dovecotes to attract the birds, give them feed containing a contraceptive and have their eggs removed regularly.

The town clerk said pointedly:

"People in the town feed these pigeons and until they stop chucking food about we will not get rid of them."

It was agreed to get estimates for extending the existing anti-pigeon wires on the hall.

A local naturalist who asked not to be named said: "I am very surprised the town council is even talking of culling.

"These days they should know the public is against it and there is always an outcry because the public consider it inhumane.

"Not every bird is killed cleanly. They did a cull in the town some years ago and I found a badly injured pigeon walking about a couple of days later.

"The best way is to discourage the birds is by not feeding them and to take away their eggs to control the number of youngsters being born."

RSPCA western region spokesperson Jo Barr said the society took the view that culling was only a very last resort and it had to be carried out with a

licence from DEFRA.

She said a build-up of birds in any urban area was due to two factors, an availability of food and places for them to roost.

"Culling does not work in the long run anyway. Where there is a food source and ideal conditions then birds will move in from other areas."

Marlborough is one of many towns that suffer from pigeon plagues.

In Trowbridge the town council planned a cull about five years ago but dropped the idea when bird-lovers made threats on the life of the sharp-shooter the council was planning to employ.

Trowbridge town council agreed instead to an appeal to people to stop feeding the pigeons with a direct threat of court action against the worst offenders.