BECKENHAM: Resident's frustrations at rotting pigeons (From Bucks Free Press)

BECKENHAM: Resident's frustrations at rotting pigeons

A 60-YEAR-OLD man has revealed his frustration at delays in removing rotting pigeon carcasses and mess from a railway bridge.

Frustrated - Kelvin Wynne

Kelvin Wynne first reported the problem to Bromley Council in May after noticing increasing amounts of pigeon mess and dead birds hanging through the netting underneath Kent House Road railway bridge.

The council passed the complaint on to Network Rail but Mr Wynne says weeks have passed without any action being taken.

He is also concerned that the bridge is so near to Alexander School, providing a potential health risk.

Mr Wynne, a retired newspaper worker of Kings Hall Road, Beckenham, said: “The mess is still the same - nothing’s happening and there are more carcasses.

“I presume they’re just rotting through and dropping away.”

When Mr Wynne called the company to follow up the complaint, he claims they refused to tell him what was happening, citing the Data Protection Act.

He said: “They were terribly defensive and I couldn’t get anywhere really.

“It should be no big deal and Network Rail should just stop with this stress and nonsense.

“There’s a hole in the netting which would take them no time at all really to sort out.”

In 2006, the company took around three months to sort out similar problems at a railway bridge in Eltham despite calls from residents and the threat of legal action by Greenwich Council.

A Network Rail spokesperson said the company had made improvements to the netting and removed dead pigeons on June 14.

He said: “Like other organisations, Network Rail treats correspondence with members of the public and other organisations in confidence.  It would be inappropriate to share details with anyone other than the party that raised the issue with us in the first place.”