Business group targets city centre pigeons
They steal your chips, leave thousands of droppings around Lincoln centre and get under your feet when you're trying to do your shopping.
But in the new year pigeon numbers could be cut down to a manageable level in Lincoln as the city's Business Improvement Group launches a plan to reduce the population.
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Pigeons in City Square, Lincoln, eating food scraps that have been thrown away by shoppers.
But BIG have admitted that nothing has been done to develop the plan since they won a ballot to retain their management of the city centre back in October.
The group have a £6 million masterplan to develop and improve the centre of Lincoln.
Park-and-ride schemes, a blitz on street drinking and a crackdown on food left out for pigeons were included in the manifesto drawn up by the organisation.
Matt Corrigan, chief executive of the group, said the group would be working on a more solid plan in the new year.
"Controlling pigeons in the city does feature in our plans for next year," he said. "We will be working on a new leaflet and information. We will also be renewing the signage to tell people not to feed the pigeons."
The leaflets will contain information for the public and business owners about removing rubbish and not feeding the birds.
But Lincoln BIG said it will not be carrying out a cull of the birds.
"We will be working with the street wardens and the police to get the message out there," said Matt Corrigan. "No matter how much we cull the birds, if there's a large quantity of food around they will carry on breeding.
"We are never going to completely eradicate pigeons but we do want to cut down their numbers."
For other methods of pigeon control, see Wednesday's Echo.
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by Nick Ricketts, Lincoln/Lincolnshire
Monday, August 09 2010, 2:26PM
“After reading some of the negative replies to a company trying to keep the city clean and pest free, all I can say is...
I'd hate to see where these folk live, maybe they like to live in s..t but many like myself do not. I think BIG could do with more support. Maybe a facebook page?”
by Nick Ricketts, Lincoln/Lincolnshire
Monday, August 09 2010, 2:20PM
“I can count on both hands and feet the amount of times I have seen some idiot just pour chips all over the floor with such carefree abandon. I once saw a woman do that, she was with her little girl. What is that going to teach a child? I said to this woman, "There's a bin over there". (as I pointed to a bin 20 feet away), she replied, "So?" I then said, "Well, why drop your chips on the floor for?" She answered, "the pigeons are out". I replied with a chuckle, "well they ain't walking dustbins are they?" She told me to, "get lost".
Another time I was eating chips with a buddy of mine and a man approached me and said sternly with a shaky demeanour, "how can you sit there eating those chips when there are all these hungry pigeons around?" I was dumbfounded. I replied, (a swear word) followed by "off". And he did.
I do not understand why people can't put things in a dustbin and I do not get the mentality of some people. These pigeons will become more brave and cunning the more people are thick enough to feed them. A big problem is the old people who feed the bloody things, if I wanted to feed something I'd feed the swans and ducks bread where the pigeons don't venture. I think a lot of the people need culling as well as the pigeons!”
by John Bartley, Sewells Walk
Friday, December 18 2009, 1:36PM
“Ok who is going to clear up all the mess from spilt takeaways on our pavements?”
by Matt, Lincoln
Wednesday, December 16 2009, 4:41PM
“Have we all forgotten the part that pigeons played in the First World War! Tut-tut!!!!!”
by Rick, lincoln
Wednesday, December 16 2009, 4:27PM
“operations manager cant work for lincoln big as he/she cant even spell HAZARD (notice 1 Z not 2 like he/she put in)”