Pigeon feeders facing £80 fines in Leicester

People who feed pigeons in Leicester city centre could face fines, the city council has warned.

The authority said feeding the birds in the city can cause a boom in the pigeon population and increase the spread of disease.

Anyone caught putting down large amounts of food waste in public places, or leaving empty bird food bags, could face an £80 fine for littering.

The council is running information events to tackle the problem.

'Unnatural growth'

Assistant mayor Sarah Russell said: "It's not a war on pigeons.

"It's about helping people to understand that it's far better to feed some of the wild birds in gardens than dump what is often whole loaves of bread in the city that can contribute to all sorts of problems with pigeons and rats."

Events are being held at the town hall, Watermead Country Park, Cossington Recreation Ground, Spinney Hill Park, Highlands Library, Sparrow Park and Humberstone Park from 22 until 27 July.

Adrian Russell, director of environmental services at the city council, said: "At its natural level, the pigeon population won't cause a problem.

"It's the unnatural growth in pigeon population that you typically see in busy cities that creates problems.

"This creates all sort of problems for buildings and public areas where pigeon fouling can damage buildings, create a terrible eyesore and pose a real risk of disease."