Residents clean up pigeon poo ahead of poetry fest

Chair of Ledbury Market Committee, John Whitelegg, helped to clean up the bird droppings

Residents have taken it upon themselves to clean up "unsightly and smelly" pigeon poo in their town ahead of its annual poetry festival.

A walkway in Ledbury, which connects the town centre to Burgage Hall, had been plagued with the droppings, the town's market committee chair John Whitelegg said.

The group expressed concerns that it was unpleasant for residents and visitors and carried out a clean up effort on Friday ahead of the town's festival which is held at the hall.

The festival, which features artists such as Lemn Sissay, Michael Rosen and Roger McGough as well as workshops and walks, runs until 6 July.

The droppings had collected in the alleyway that connects Ledbury town centre and Burgage Hall

Mr Whitelegg described the town as "delightful" and said walking through bird poo should not be part of the "Ledbury experience".

He said he hoped Herefordshire Council, the town council, and Ledbury Civic Society, who are responsible for Burgage Hall, would help to arrange a "regular cleaning programme".

He added that it was "astonishing and unacceptable" that the bird droppings had not been cleaned up before the market group intervened.