Here in my home town, there are at least 3 dead pigeons hanging over the side of a wall of the HSBC Bank, it looks like they have put some netting on top of a flat roof and the poor pigeons have got their feet caught in these and must have just flapped to their death?? I cannot imagine why they have the netting there but how awful the death must have been, there could be more up there.  My 12yr old came home from town and told me about it yesterday and wouldn't stop going on until I went to have a look today, which I did.  I will call in the Bank tomorrow to advise them as I hope others will.  How awful.  What else if anything can I do.  I realise Pigeons can be a nuiscance but nothing deserves to die like that.

The netting's there to stop birds roosting there and pooing (and damaging) the building. It must have come loose. :(

Maybe notify the RSPCA? I don't know what they will be able to do but if the pigeons are causing a nuisance, there must be humane ways of dealing with them.

I did think of ringing the RSPCA but then told my daughter I would go into the bank at 9am tomorrow and explain how distressing she has found this (which is true) and hopefully they'll remove the dead birds and fix the netting because as JG says it's possibly come loose??  Let's just hope no more suffer tonight.  She's such a sensitive soul my daughter and ended up in tears over this! 

I have no love for pigeons but can't bear to think of any animal suffer. I used to live near a bridge where pigeons nested and once spent ages standing in the snow untangling a bird that had got horrendously tangled up in string and couldn't walk or fly :( I know they are vermin but I felt sorry for it and it was only a matter of time before a cat would get it. After that, the pigeons seemed to twig that I was a soft touch and several sick birds turned up in our garden (always ours, never anyone elses) for us to put them out of their misery :rolleyes:

Hopefully having a word with the bank will encourage them to take action.

They have this netting at the hospital where I work and I think if it#s a bright sunny day the birds don't see it and fly straight into it and as you say they must die a horrible death trying to escape!!  Don't know what the answer is to keep them away.

well i'm not sure how i feel right now. went into the bank this morning and how unhelpful can one person be??? I was more than polite but did say the birds must have suffered an horrific death and the teller said 'there is only one bird there, we were told by a customer on Friday' I informed here there were at least 3 visible from the road and apparently the customer Friday was going to ring the RSPCA but they hadn't been yet.  I did enquire if it was maybe their responsibility to remove the dead pigeons and she said they were told to put the netting there and it was in a place not accessible!  I said well could my husband come and take the pigeons out of the netting and fix it if it was loose as he has ladders, but she said 'no'.  I did say I would ring the RSPCA this afternoon and all of a sudden she said 'well the customer said she was going to whether she did or not I don't know' I give in as to me that sounded like she was back tracking!  Anyway I have tried to ring the RSPCA but can't get an answer right now but will continue to try.  I just thought the bank would be a little more helpful.  Having a real bad day today, whilst in town I dropped my phone and that is now broken and I need it today of all days as my brother is having his leg off and I am really worried about him etc., oh the list is endless!  Not to worry just having a general moan! sorry x

I cannot get an answer from any RSPCA branches-so I rang the local council, they tell me after talking to their environment department that the bird is the responsibility of the RSPCA but the netting is the responsibility of the Bank, I'd already sort of guessed the netting was the responsibility of the bank, today I feel like i'm getting nowhere with anything and just waiting for the call to say my brother is ok! But hey ho no news is good news as they say! x

There is no love lost between me and feral pigeons (I hate the dirty disgusting things) but isn't that just typical of the RSPCA and why so many of us won't give them the time of day.

I am sure your brother will be just fine Craigles, try not to worry he's in good hands.  Perhaps you should get your daughter to do some reading about the damage pigeons can cause and the diseases their droppings can harbour.  She might be less emotional about them then!

Perhaps you should get your daughter to do some reading about the damage pigeons can cause and the diseases their droppings can harbour.  She might be less emotional about them then!

They're still living creatures that don't deserve to suffer a long lingering death!!!!!  I'm sorry - I'm shocked that someone can have that attitude

Debs

>but isn't that just typical of the RSPCA

What is typical? Craigles hasn't managed to contact them yet they have been phoning the branches, perhaps they are all busy working out in the kennels.  The 24 hour cruelty and emergency number is 0870 55 55 999 You need to use that one to report something like this Craigles.

RSPCA did say that it was all the Banks responsibility to ensure that the netting was taut and to remove the dead pigeons, if I had no joy with talking to the local branch of the bank representative did say to write to the head office!  Oh well i've tried and exhausted my avenues, I do have to go to town again tomorrow to sort out damaged phone so I will call in again if they are still hanging over the side but I don't hold out much hope of them being helpful!  My Mum rang at 5.15pm to say that my brother was still in theatre and she would let me know as soon as he was out so I'm still waiting which is the worse bit.  I don't believe any living thing should suffer in life, regardless of who or what they are but that is me and I guess she just has my values, I know they do damage and to be honest I'm petrified of birds!  I avoid pigeons in town and if they fly anywhere near me I'm like the person with turrets (sp) syndrome!  Fingers crossed everyone for my bro who is 42 and having his leg off (diabetes).

I would have thought dead birds would be an environmental health problem, and therefore the council's responsibility.

Hope your brother does well. :)

I have rang our local council JG, I just can't seem to get anyone to take responsibility for these birds, they are hanging there and it looks basically like they are going to drop, but when you look close you can see they are tangled by their feet, I cannot imagine or try not to what they went through before they finally died, my daughter who is 12 would cut them free but for obvious health reasons I wouldn't allow that, although like I said in a previous post I did offer my husbands services but the bank won't allow this due to security!  Many thanks for your good wishes to my brother and upon reading my previous posts, I do go from one thing to another but it's just how I'm feeling right now so apologies to all reading this thread.  P.S still not heard from my Mother re brother.

Sorry you haven't managed to get anywhere with the bank Craigles, but well done for trying.

We'll keep everything crossed here for your brother.

thanks to all, he's still in theatre, he's been in there since 2.30pm and I just don't know how long he should be in there and nobody is telling her anything, she has waited at the hospital all this time and I know she won't leave until she finds something out.  I'm just sitting here wasting time basically.  I'll ring her again at 8pm unless I hear from her sooner. 

Perhaps a letter to the local paper (perhaps with a photo) might have some effect :)

Daisy

my daughters thoughts, i did take my camera yesterday but didn't bother when I realised it was the bank (she initially thought the building belonged to a pub) but decided against it as I was so sure the bank would deal with it immediately, I was a little amazed they said a customer had gone in Friday to report one pigeon there, I don't think the lady I spoke to realised there were at least 3 that were visible!

The netting is the responsibility of whoever the bank have contracted to do their pest control.

That might be the local council but given they are not responding to being given greif over it, id suspect its not - thus further grief wont get you very far (unless said deceased flying-rats have now got maggots and bits dropping off them all over members of the public of course).

I would go back to the bank and ask them which pest control service they use (and im betting it begins with R here), unless of course they have cancelled the contract and have no pest control..... in which case its probably  not surprising the netting has come loose.

Spike strips are better, less visible and not likely to cause damage to the pigeons (its a VERY stupid pigeon that sits down hard enough to injure itself on those).

Id not expect the RSPCA to leap up and down about it either - pigeons are vermin and its a bit late to prevent the cruelty, these ones are already dead - although granted they SHOULD keep an eye on things like this (and other things that ive heard of certain pest control companies, such as not checking sticky traps often enough when they are used for rodents.....).

Em

Just like to tell you the dead pigeons have been removed and the bank have contacted me and looking into putting spikes on the outside of the building, but as they say nothing is done overnight but it is definatley being looked at.  My brother is fine came out of surgery at 9pm and we spoke at 10pm, he had a spinal block for the amputation he is not feeling too chirpy right now and is very down but it's early days and a big thing for a 42 yr old to come to terms with.  Many thanks for your kind thoughts x