The news has been hailed as a shot in the arm for the flagging town centre, as well as a means to provide much-needed local housing. Bletchley Labour councillor Mohammed Khan has spent the past 18 months negotiating with the London businessman who owns the dilapidated building. This week he revealed a pre-planning application had been submitted to MK Council, with full details to follow in the New Year. Mr Khan said: “The owner plans to demolish the building as it is in such a bad state after standing empty for so many years. “He intends to build 186 one and two bedroom flats, with some of them allocated for social housing. There will an underground car park and more parking on top of the building.” The ground floor will be mixed retail, mainly cafes and restaurants. Meanwhile pub giants Wetherspoon’s are preparing to move in to the former Bletchley Arms pub at the other end of Queensway. “All this will attract more people and more businesses to the town centre, which is currently dead and deserted in the evenings. It is just what Bletchley needs,” said Mr Khan. The huge 60,000 sq ft building, which sold everying from sofas to socks, closed its doors in 2006, It has been marketed as for sale or to let ever since, but nobody has shown a firm interest i- and the only ‘tenants’ have been pigeons. Councillor Mohammed Khan: “I’ve been inside and it is in a bad state, full of pigeons and their mess. “Eleven years is just too long for a building in the heart of a town to stand empty. It is good that it’s being demolished and brought alive again.” In June this year the Let’s Help Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Facebook group begged for something to be done, describing the town as a mecca of gambling shops.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Bath’s Pigeon Man avoided jail for repeatedly feeding birds in the city centre – and has vowed to continue doing so.
In an explosive court hearing Paul Charlton was given 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 15 months, and told if he committed another offence in that time he will find himself behind bars.
Charlton, of no fixed address, is known throughout the city for regularly feeding the pigeons which flock to and perch on him under the columns off Stall Street and Bath Abbey.
His behaviour led Bath and North East Somerset Council to make a community protection notice banning him from doing so.
It led to the council bringing a prosecution against Charlton which saw him handed a criminal behaviour order (CBO) on January 23 by Bath magistrates.
Despite this Charlton, 42, continued to feed pigeons on a number of occasions throughout the year.
Speaking after his latest hearing today (Wednesday, October 18), Charlton said magistrates were ‘unreasonable’ and that he would not stop.
Standing in the dock, he told magistrates: “Send me to prison and when I come back I’ll have to do the same again.”
Despite this promise, the magistrates chose not to jail him.
Chair of the magistrates Jenny Simmonds said: “These breaches taken together are so serious that we must impose a custodial sentence.
“We’re sentencing you to two weeks in custody for each of these breaches – a total of 12 weeks.
“We’re suspending this on the condition that you don’t commit another offence within the next 15 months.
“If you’re convicted of another offence while on this order you can expect to serve this prison sentence.”
Charlton had admitted six breaches of the order at a hearing last month.
He was first charged with defying the CBO on January 30 – only seven days after it was made – as well as four more times in February and once in March.
A barrister for B&NES Council read out a victim impact statement from the director of Jacob’s Coffee House director, Jake Harris, saying his business is impacted by Charlton’s act.
It read: “Paul Charlton feeds the pigeons directly outside my premises and it impacts on us in several ways.
“He has been threatening to staff, invading their personal space.
“We have a responsibility to make sure tables are clean and hygienic. That experience reflects on the business good or bad. If there are pigeons flying around we get feedback.
“Many members of the public have made comments, some of it refers directly to Paul the pigeon man.
“I cannot move the shop – we pay business rates, rent, employ 40-50 staff members.
“We pay for our environment. He’s not operating a business and not paying taxes.
“I’ve had to pay £1,200 to get pigeon excrement professionally removed.”
Mr Harris said when a pigeon flies into the cake display, he has to throw away up to 30 cakes at once at a cost of £300 to the business.
Charlton, when asked if he had anything to say, told the court: “I feel this man is cooking up a fuss over nothing. The birds fly in all the shops.
“Send me to prison and when I come back I’ll have to do the same again.
“The court has lied about the truth and protected those people of that status.
“You’re not offering justice for all.”
Upon hearing his sentence, Charlton told magistrates: “I don’t believe in your ‘justice’.
“You’re unreasonable.”
His defence solicitor had appealed to the bench to spare Charlton prison and said his client receives benefits.
“I’ve spent quite a bit of time with Mr Charlton and he makes it very clear to me that he was very unhappy about the way the order was made,” Guy Percival said.
“He didn’t feel he had the opportunity to properly put his case and feels quite strongly a sense of injustice.
“I’ve been at pains to explain to him that you’re here to sentence these breaches and you obviously can’t revisit the making of the original order.
“The report presents very stark sentencing options. He says in very clear terms to me that he will not comply with a supervision order, he knows that leaves very few options indeed.
“I would invite you to consider a suspended sentence coupled with a contribution to costs.”
Charlton told the Chronicle at the end of his hearing that he would return to his haunt the following day.
“If you want a picture come back and speak to me tomorrow,” he said.
“I’ll be at pigeon land at 12pm.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Paul Charlton aka Pigeon Man is due to be sentenced this morning for breaking an order barring him from feeding birds.
Charlton, of no fixed address, is a well-known figure in Bath, often seen under the arches off Stall Street with pigeons perching on him.
However, he was prosecuted in January for the antics despite being subject to a community protection notice ordering him to stop.
It landed him with a criminal behaviour order – which he has since broken on six occasions.
He was first charged with defying the order only seven days after it was made, on January 30, and four more times in February and once in March.
The 42-year-old admitted the offences when he appeared at Bath Magistrates’ Court on September 25.
His hearing was adjourned so a pre-sentence report could be prepared by the probation service.
Charlton is due back in courtroom 1 for sentencing this morning (Wednesday, October 18).
Follow our blog for everything that happens in this case and updates on this morning’s other hearings.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Living in communion with nature has never been a tall order for Shyam Kumar, who chooses to wake up to the sounds of chirping birds, rather than the variable alarm on his mobile. He loves to sit in the company of doves and other birds amid flowering plants rather than spend time in air-conditioned room. He prefers to speak to rabbits, instead of speaking to friends over phone.
A native of Vizianagaram, Shyam Kumar has been passionate about nature and goes out of the way to befriend and protect plants and birds. Whenever he travels to other places, he does not shop for clothes, accessories, footwear, watches or other such things; he looks for new ‘friends’ that he can bring home to add to his pleasure.
No wonder, Shyam Kumar’s house bustles with love birds, doves, pigeons, rabbits and other animals. He has been maintaining a sanctuary of sorts. He takes care of the birds and animals as if they are his own children: finches cocktails, African love birds, runt birds, fan tails, jawas, regular doves, pigeons and rabbits. They all have specialized cages and are fed grains and nuts, including cashew and almond.
Every day his routine begins with observing the birds, their activity and health. His passion for gathering different species of birds keeps him busy always. Shyam Kumar can get at least Rs. 5,000-6,000 per month as rent from the portion of his house that he presently uses to accommodate his ‘friends’, but he has no thought of letting it out.
In fact, he spends around Rs.5,000 towards medicines, nuts and grains for these birds and animals. He feels happy to feed these colourful birds with his own hand. His every wakeful moment is shared with his pets. He says he speaks to the birds in their language. He even gifts pairs of love birds to his friends, near and dear on their birthdays and other special occasions. Some of the birds dwelling in his home have been brought from West Bengal, Araku, Assam and other parts of the country. We can find a variety of rare species at his home.
“All our time just passes with these birds and plants. Sometimes we even cancel our tours to take care of these pets and plants. All my friends feel very happy whenever I gift rare species to them,” he says. Their chirps are very pleasant to him, never annoying. The terrace of his house is filled with flower pots, with the fragrance of roses, lilies and other flowers wafting across.
Even vegetables like lady’s finger, ribbed gourd and others are appealing to behold in his carefully tended garden. “We take measures to protect doves and rabbits from cats and dogs. The major threat for these birds is from cats and dogs only. It feels good to sit beside these cages. I am passionate to protect these rare lives,” he says.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
This summer’s wildfire season left both humans and their pets struggling in thick smoke – but the late haze that wafted through Squamish in September might have rerouted some professional pigeons from the Lower Mainland.
On Sept. 4, Harry Midgley noticed a small pigeon roaming his Cheekye front yard. The light grey bird had a brown and purple band on its neck and a small dark grey head.
The bird immediately took a liking to both Midgley and his motorcycle – it was happy to perch on his knee, foot or in his hands. A band around the bird’s legs with numbers and letters led Midgley to the website for the CPFA – the Canadian Pigeon Fanciers Association, which he contacted to try and track the owner.
In the meantime, Midgley brought out an old birdcage to protect the bird from predators, provided some seed and water and consulted a local Squamish Facebook group for advice on what to do with Homie – the name he gave the bird.
South of Midgley near Brackendale, Squamish resident Jessica Adams, and her children were being charmed by their own feathered visitor. They’d noticed that like clockwork, a grey-and-white pigeon with red banded feet would visit their yard.
“It was really hungry and thirsty on the first day, but it perked up,” said Adams. “I figured maybe it needed to refuel and go back to wherever it came from.”
For five days in a row, the bird visited at the same time each day, before flying off to spend the night somewhere else.
Adams’ four-year-old son dubbed the curious bird “Jailbird” because of the cuffs on its legs, while her daughter borrowed a water bowl and some turf from their pet rabbits to make it more comfortable.
Like Midgley, Adams took to Facebook to try and find the owner of the bird. A little shier than Homie, she had to take zoomed-in photos to try and read the numbers on the band.
Some people might call pigeons “rats with wings” but Adams said the little bird was a hit.
“My kids love the bird,” she said, joking that she might now keep pigeons instead of chickens. “It just hangs around the water bowl and eats— pretty cool little bird. This one is very sweet.”
Midgley and Adams assumed that the thick smoke stranded the birds in their backyards – whether breathing it in had tired out the small creatures, or perhaps the visibility had interrupted their navigating ability.
The local who runs the local NANA (Neighbourhood Animals Needing Assistance) group for the Sea to Sky said reports of lost pigeons in Squamish are fairly rare, especially compared to missing cats and dogs.
The social media page – which helps reunite lost pets with owners – has been in operation since 2016, but there have only been two submissions for lost pigeons.
Head to the city and the common rock pigeon, or Columa livia, isn’t hard to find. They’ll hang out anywhere that they might find a snack.
The birds are a little rarer in Squamish, but a small flock is known to hang out on warm days near the Howe Sound Brewery. The larger band-tailed pigeon is also seen in Squamish but is a species of “special concern” according to the B.C. government.
Keeping pigeons as pets, although a very old tradition, is becoming rarer and rarer in the province.
According to Dave Naylor, who lives in Langley, there’s only one person in Brackendale who still keeps the birds. Plenty of breeders and racers operate in the Lower Mainland, in the Interior, and on Vancouver Island, but no one keeps racing birds anymore in Squamish or Whistler.
“The smoke would have slowed them down a bit, probably had an impact on breathing as they were flying,” said Naylor.
He said pigeons from the city sometimes fly as far as Medicine Hat, and occasionally they go north through Whistler and back to the city. Adams and Midgley didn’t have any success IDing their birds, but Naylor said if they were racing pigeons, they likely came from the Fraser Valley.
Naylor doesn’t race the birds himself anymore, but his Langley born-and-raised pigeons travel across North America to compete in sporting events like the California Classic, the Holiday Cup, and the Triple Crown.
They can fly up to 300 miles in long races and are tracked by an electronic chip on their leg. Prizes awarded to winning birds can reach US$90,000. Naylor said pigeon racing is more popular than horse racing in California.
In Vancouver, it’s getting harder for the pigeons to find their way home.
Naylor said the re-introduction of the peregrine falcon has made the sport more difficult, and there’s also speculation that cell towers interfere with the birds’ navigation. Tougher municipal bylaws in cities, including Vancouver, have also made keeping the birds more difficult.
“The sport is diminishing, but it’s still fairly active on the island and in the Interior, but there are fewer and fewer clubs in the valley,” said Naylor.
Still, fancy pigeons and racers get lost often enough that the Canadian Pigeon Fanciers Association website has detailed instructions for what to do with a lost bird.
“The bird can be temporarily kept in a cardboard box with light and air holes cut into all sides while you are awaiting its owner,” instructs the organization, adding that bread should be avoided but seed and clean water will help the bird recover if it appears tired.
So if you see a lost pigeon with banded feet, stay cool. Most friendly fliers are just taking a break and looking for friendly humans to help out with some food and water.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
