NAKED animal activists have ruffled a few feathers by vowing to sabotage any attempts by Preston Borough Council to continue its policy of shooting pigeons.

The animal lovers stripped off in front of Preston's Town Hall in a bid to draw attention to the council's current pigeon control methods.

Draped in only a protest banner - which said 'I'd rather go naked than be shot,' a parody on a high profile anti-fur campaign launched last year by a string of supermodels - the four activists spent 30 minutes in the freezing cold trying to persuade locals that there is an alternative way of culling Preston's pigeon population.

They also handed in a petition, which called for councillors to oppose the shooting policy at a meeting of Preston's environment committee, due to meet today (Thursday).

The campaigners will lay a wreath outside the Town Hall before the meeting in memory of the dead pigeons. They also had a stark warning for the councillors - do things our way or watch us sabotage.

Louise Stevenson, one of the saboteurs, said: "There are alternative and more effective ways of controlling the pigeons than by just shooting them. Not only is it inhumane, it is also ineffective.

"Alternatives have been suggested, including the erection of pigeon nesting boxes which could be cleaned out weekly, removing all eggs. This would effectively control the pigeon population."

The Citizen first reported on the outcry at the pigeon culls in January, when council bosses highlighted the threat the pigeons posed to Preston. According to Bill Hayhurst, of Preston's environmental health department, the pigeons' acidic droppings are eroding the town's historic buildings.

A report to the environment committee today also highlights the diseases they carry, including Cryptococcosis, a fungal organism which can cause meningitis.

Diane Sanderson, one of the naked protesters, said: "We felt it was the only way we could get our message across.

A council spokesman said: "The droppings make the flagged stone surface slippery, especially after rain. In other areas, they cause noise problems, damage cars, monuments and property, again due to their droppings.

"We need to continue controlling the pigeon problem because they cause nuisance and damage.

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