Bridgnorth considers fire effect gel to get rid of pigeon problem

Pigeons causing a nuisance in Bridgnorth town centre could be driven out by a gel that tricks them into thinking their favourite landing spots are on fire.

The birds have become a problem in the town centre, especially around the town hall and Pos-tern Gate where they leave a mess on buildings and pose a health risk.

Now the town council is to consider an approach from a national company offering to apply a non-toxic gel to the buildings.

The council's property and grounds committee will discuss the problem and decide a way forward at its meeting on Tuesday.

A report to the meeting says of the bird repellent: "To the human eye it looks like a gel but to the birds, which include pigeons, magpies and gulls, it looks like a fire. This encourages them not to land or nest in the areas. Pigeons are becoming a massive problem for towns, such as Bridgnorth and other areas. The excrement can cause a lot of health issues in humans, such as lung disease.

"The company is offering to get rid of any existing nests and apply the product to ledges where the birds make home meaning that there will be no cleaning up after them every week. The product is guaranteed for a minimum of two years."

Former mayor Val Gill said: "They certainly make a mess on the pavement around there. When it rains and it is wet it can be quite slippery."

Mrs Gill said previous attempts to solve the problem had been to put wire on the buildings to deter the birds from roosting.