I've been threatened by 'bully' council for feeding birds in my OWN garden after my moaning neighbours complained | The Sun
A PENSIONER claims she has been threatened by a "bully" council for feeding birds in her own garden after her neighbours complained.
Anne Seago, 97, used to enjoy nothing more than sitting in her conservatory and watching sparrows and robins eat seeds on her bird table in Blackpool.
But she says she is now too afraid to even look out of her window after being accused of anti-social behaviour.
The retired music teacher was the subject of complaints from neighbours who said that pigeons and seagulls were attracted to her bird table.
Neighbours moaned to the council that this was causing a nuisance in the area.
Earlier this month, Anne received a "written warning" from the council saying she will be issued with a community protection notice and fined £100 if she does not cease her "anti-social behaviour".
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Environmental health officers have also driven past her bungalow to see if pigeons are roosting on the roof.
The letter says putting food out for wild birds is unreasonable and is having a detrimental effect on neighbouring residents.
Anne told MailOnline: "I am stressed out. My blood pressure is up and it was perfect the last time.
"After all this began, I have started having problems with my hands and legs. I'm not saying all this has caused it but I can't be sure. I want to live to 100."
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Anne lives with her son Alan, 77, who fears the battle with Fylde Council could put his mother's life at risk.
He said that the council letter is "menacing" and could "finish her off".
A determined Alan said if he and his mother get fined they are prepared to go to court.
Residents supportive of Anne say Fylde Council is "bullying and victimising" her.
They also claim the council has not investigated counter-complaints against the neighbour who has complained, for playing loud music and banging his bin lid.
However, the man in his 50s, denied playing loud music to annoy his neighbours and said he only banged the bin lid to scare the birds away.
A Fylde Council spokesperson told The Sun: "Fylde Council have been in receipt of complaints regarding alleged excessive bird feeding at two properties in Staining since 2016, from four different complainants, including from properties on different streets.
"Informal letters had been sent by Fylde Council in the past informing the occupants of these two properties that complaints had been received.
"Officers visited the properties on numerous occasions, most recently in 2023 and reported witnessing hundreds of pigeons in proximity to these properties, mostly on roof tops, with large amounts of food to be provided for them.
"This has led to the accumulation of bird feed, which has the potential to attract vermin and spread disease, and the build-up of bird faeces, which can cause nuisance and damage to property.
"Contact could not be established with the occupants of one property, the occupants did not respond to written correspondence or requests for telephone contact."
They continued: "The Council issued Community Protection Warning (CPW) letters on 10 November 2023 to the occupants of the two properties, advising that the Council could consider issuing them with a Community Protection Notice (CPN) if the antisocial behaviour continues.
"The act of ‘putting out food for the purpose of attracting wild birds to feed’, in such a large amount on a regular basis has a detrimental effect on neighbouring residents, ‘birds roosting and defecating is a public health nuisance and has the potential to cause disease’.
"The Community Protection Warning (CPW) is not a legal notice it acts as a warning to cease the antisocial behaviour – in this instance, the placing of food within the curtilage of the relevant properties (including garages and outbuildings) for the purpose of attracting and feeding wild birds.
"If it continues the Council could consider serving a Community Protection Notice (CPN). Before issuing a CPN the local authority would have to be satisfied that that the conduct is having a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality, is unreasonable, and is persistent.
"Failure to comply with a CPN is a criminal offence. The council has acted in response to complaints from other residents in the neighbourhood.
"Incidents such as criminal damage, threatening behaviour, and physical violence are matters for the police.
"To our knowledge, any and all altercations involving physical violence or intimidation had already been logged with the police, with police log numbers being provided to the reporting parties.”
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