Eyam cockerel's owners served with noise abatement notice

William the cockerel, left, may have to be killed if a new home cannot be found, his owners fear

The owners of a cockerel have written to their local MP after a council served them with a noise abatement notice.

William the cockerel's dawn crowing has been annoying at least one Eyam resident, who has complained to Derbyshire Dales District Council.

The council said the "noise source" could be relocated.

Phillip Sutcliffe fears he may have to have his bird killed if he cannot find him a new home.

Phillip Sutcliffe and his wife Caroline keep a number of chickens at their home in Eyam

He said he has tried advertising William for sale but has had no takers.

"We can get rid of him two ways - we can kill him, or we can get rid of him another way," he said.

"Apparently he crows too loud in the morning - he joins the dawn chorus with all the other birds in the area and one person has complained.

"Sometimes it can be quite early - at the present time it's probably 7am."

Modified coop

After carrying out a noise assessment, the council told Mr Sutcliffe, 80, that William must go by the end of the week.

But a councillor has called to offer William a "reprieve" of a few more days, he said.

Mr Sutcliffe has tried to make the Welsummer cockerel sleep in a modified coop but to no avail and so has written to Derbyshire Dales MP Patrick McLoughlin to complain.

"You can't possibly keep a cockerel quiet so I've protested. To me this affects village way of life," he said.

"If we take this 30 years on there probably won't be cockerels in villages in the UK and I think that's wrong."

A spokesman for the council said it was not appropriate to comment on an ongoing case.

"It's worth noting that the serving of a noise abatement notice allows for a variety of remedies to take place, including the relocation of the noise source," he said.