REGARDING Blackburn Council's plans to trap and shoot the town's pigeons, I see from a national newspaper that someone has been stealing the pigeons from Trafalgar Square in London.

And although they can't be prosecuted for theft, they can be under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, as it is an offence to take, damage or destroy any wild bird.

So can we assume that if Blackburn Council go ahead with this plan they also can be prosecuted?

I am not against the culling of some birds to keep them down, but, as in Trafalgar Square, they do give pleasure to some people.

If every town in the country decided to adopt Blackburn's stand, then all our wild birds would disappear.

Blackburn Council seem to have a thing about destroying things, be they buildings or people's pleasures. By all means, reduce the pigeons' numbers, but what would come next - starlings, sparrows, blue tits?

Think again, Blackburn Council, before someone decides to take you to court.

A REID (Mrs), Barons Way, Lower Darwen.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.