IF THE advertising hoardings currently attracting Market Rasen's problem pigeons are not taken down within a week a double pronged legal assault is pledged against the owning company.
Network Rail, which is leasing the sides of its railway bridges for the poster installations, is finally at risk of court action and fines after two years of inaction against complaints.
The roosting pigeons are making pavements beneath dangero
us with their droppings and both the district and county councils are galvanising their legal teams for action.
Burt Keimach, a councillor on both authorities, told the town council last week, "We have decided to mount a double pronged legal attack against Network Rail which is primarily responsible for this mess.
"It's like a dirty shagpile carpet under these bridges; really quite disgusting," he said.
Part of the problem was the advertising hoardings at Queen Street, but also Network Rail's failure to, and refusal to allow other parties to, net the underneath of the three structures against the pigeons.
Primesite was supposed to be taking the boards down by mid-October but that still left the problem of the roosting ledges, said Coun Keimach.
"West Lindsey is power-washing as regularly as it can, but that's only a stop-gap measure until we can get Network Rail to clean up its act."
As well as the health and environmental risks as ground level, he was concerned that the acidic droppings could be destroying the bridge structure and said it was therefore in Network Rail's interest to act. Similar issues had inflated repair costs to Pelham Bridge in Lincoln from £100,000 to £450,000 for the county council.
Cases would be brought under the Public Protection Act 1961 and Environmental Protection Act 1990. Under similar action Network Rail was fined £200,000 in Hampshire recently.
The town council was told that in addition to the three rail bridges there were also roosting problems and consequent mess at the foodstore in Union Street and now at the Old Police Station where its offices and dentist are now based.
Union Street resident David Burton has requested permission to carry out a cull and, as previously reported, is seeking neighbours' co-operation as he says any deterrents like netting or removing the hoardings would only shift the problem.
