Cafe staff to try harder to keep pigeons out

Customers are being urged to refrain from feeding pigeons that wander in

A cafe has taken action after a complaint about pigeons wandering in and being fed by diners.

Mike Ashburner said he was "disgusted" to see a fellow customer feeding a pigeon while he ate his breakfast inside at Diggle's Cafe in Barrow.

He complained to Barrow Council, which has given cafe staff advice on how to keep the "health hazard" birds out.

A spokesman for Diggle’s in Dalton Road said it had put up posters urging customers to refrain from feeding pigeons that wander in.

Customers are also being urged to close the cafe door when they enter and leave.

"I was disgusted,” said Mr Ashburner.

“On a table next to me, a man was throwing bits of pasty on the floor for a pigeon.

“It’s a public health hazard. A member of staff that brought me my breakfast then said to the person feeding the pigeon, ‘have you got a friend?’.

“I thought it was totally moronic.”

'Encouraged by customers'

Council environmental health officer Sarah Mason told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she had told by the cafe manager one pigeon repeatedly came in when the door was left open.

She also said she had been told the bird had been encouraged by customers feeding it.

The Diggle’s spokesman said: "On this occasion, a pigeon unfortunately entered at the encouragement of a customer seated by the door while it was briefly open who attempted to feed it.

“Our staff have a great relationship with our customers and on seeing the pigeon being fed, a member of staff made a joke about this while ushering the pigeon out of the shop.”