A HORRIFIED animal lover has slammed a council's controversial plan to cull pigeons after witnessing the “horrible sight” of a hawk feeding on a live pigeon in Frogmoor.

Ellen Wise, 69, has branded Wycombe District Council's scheme to cull pigeons with the use of traps and hawks, “cruel, inhumane and ghastly”.

The High Wycombe resident, who campaigned for the council to bring in a dovecote scheme, was speaking after she saw a hawk feeding on a live pigeon in Frogmoor.

She is now urging residents to oppose the council's plan in a bid to stop her experience becoming a regular occurrence in High Wycombe town centre.

She said: “I saw the hawk feeding on what I thought was a dead pigeon in the middle of the road but as I passed, the hawk was disturbed and flew away.

“To my horror, the little pigeon was still alive and was desperately trying to fly away, despite its severe and gruesome injuries – I shall never forget the sight of that poor bird.

“All a bird of prey does is kill and feed. It is a horrible sight. This cruel, inhumane and ghastly cull is a only short term measure and not a long-term solution.

“I corresponded with the council for some years over a dovecote. It is the cheaper and most humane method – I even volunteered to be one of the people to remove the eggs.

“There is a petition being circulated around town and I would also urge people to write and complain about this cull – do you really want your children to witness what I saw?

"I would like to remind the council, that a great many people do like pigeons and they will act against the council for doing this in our name."

Ms Wise added that a gathering of campaigners would be protesting outside the council offices in Queen Victoria Road before WDC's full council meeting at 6.30pm on July 5.

WDC spokesman Becky Wotherspoon said the first stage of the council's plan of trapping and culling the pigeons to reduce numbers would be carried out humanely.

She added that hawks would be used to frighten away any remaining birds and the hawks employed by the council are “actively discouraged” from killing the birds.

She added: “The option of installing a dovecote to control pigeon numbers, as recommended by the Pigeon Control Advisory Service, was thoroughly explored but was not the favoured option by the Committee.

“Using volunteer assistance, primarily by animal welfare groups, in maintaining a dovecote was also considered but this was not a matter to be undertaken lightly due to the height of the dovecote, awkward access and waste disposal requirements.”

Eden shopping centre director Daniel Tomkinson told the Free Press that Eden does not use hawks to control pigeons, after receiving a letter about the incident from Ms Wise.