Bradford underpass blighted by pigeon droppings

The popular footpath was blighted by "pigeon mess" and litter tossed from cars, Matt Edwards said

Plans are afoot to tackle "excessive" pigeon droppings on a path popular with schoolchildren and parents.

Matt Edwards, Green Party leader on Bradford Council, raised concerns about the "appalling" state of the M606 underpass at Mill Carr Hill Road.

The footpath was blighted by "pigeon mess" and litter tossed from cars on the motorway above, he said.

Work to tackle the issue is due to begin in October, a National Highways spokesperson said.

Mr Edwards said he had been trying to get the issue resolved for two years, with little luck, and had suggested netting be installed to stop the pigeons.

"This should be a fairly straightforward job, and I am genuinely at a loss why this is taking so long.

"They just need to get on with it," he said.

Mr Edwards said the route was well used by parents taking their children to a local school.

"The last thing they need is to be navigating around pigeon mess on the pavements. It is genuinely an unpleasant experience," he added.

Highways officials said work to tackle the problem would start in the October half-term

In response, National Highways project manager Richard Burgess said: "We're aware of the situation with excessive pigeon excrement in the Mill Carr Hill Road underpass and we are also keen to see an end to this problem.

"We will be delivering a scheme for this bridge this autumn where we will be putting in place metal netting.

"Safety is always our top priority and we are happy to work with local authorities, councillors, residents and people who use this underpass to rectify the situation as soon as possible," he added.

Mr Edwards also raised concerns about the infrequency of litter collections along the length of the M606, adding: "Local people shouldn't have to wade through litter coming from the motorway."

Litter picks were carried out in June and July after highways officials were alerted, Mr Burgess told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.