Green campaigners want action to stop pigeon poo '˜raining down' from bridge in Old Town

Green Party campaigners want a rail operator to take responsibility for pigeon poo '˜raining down' from a railway bridge in Old Town.
Cllr Ian Davidson (Green, Leamington Brunswick), shopkeeper David Jordan and Green Party campaigner Martin Luckhurst.Cllr Ian Davidson (Green, Leamington Brunswick), shopkeeper David Jordan and Green Party campaigner Martin Luckhurst.
Cllr Ian Davidson (Green, Leamington Brunswick), shopkeeper David Jordan and Green Party campaigner Martin Luckhurst.

Netting, to prevent pigeons from perching and nesting, was taken down from underneath the bridge at the junction of High Street and Clemens Street in 2015.

But campaigners are having trouble getting Network Rail to replace the netting and then maintain it.

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Shopkeeper David Jordan, who has been campaigning for the operator to problem, said: “No one wants to take responsibility for the problem.

“It was very shortsighted to remove the old netting without having thought about what would happen when the pigeons returned to the bridge. On a wet day it can be quite hazardous to walk on the affected pavement, let alone what it looks like“.

Warwick District Council’s legal department has confirmed that Section 74 of the Public Health Act 1961 states that the authority has the power to stop such pigeon nuisance and case law indicates that with a bridge owned by a rail company, the company must pay for this.

Martin Luckhurst, of the area’s Green Party group, thanked the council’s team for providing evidence that Network Rail are responsible and said: “If this pigeon poo problem was affecting the suits of senior managers at Network Rail, it would have been sorted out by now.

“My message to them is ‘we’re not giving up until this is fixed. It’s time for you to accept responsibility and take action’.”