Gravesham council has turned down a marksman's offer to rid the town centre of pigeons.

James Higginson, 18, of Princes Rise, Lewisham, had suggested he uses an air rifle to shoot the birds - a task which costs the Council thousands of pounds a year.

The Job Centre employee, who was an award-winning marksman in the army cadets, noticed the town's pigeon problem during a day out there.

And after reading a story in the News Shopper about how the council employs two cleaners to spend two hours per day cleaning the town centre at an annual cost of £6,000, he decided to volunteer his services.

But Gravesham Council has declined his offer as it wishes to use a more "humane" method to rid the centre of pigeons.

A spokesman said: "We are looking into a number of different methods. But, whatever one we choose, it will be humane. We are an animal-loving council and will not kill one bird.

"We thank James for his offer but a culling is not in line with our philosophy."

But Mr Higginson, who has been employed privately in the past by people trying to get rid of the pests, is disappointed.

He said: "I have offered my help and they have branded me inhumane. I shoot the birds right in the head and they die almost instantly.

"I am a good shot and it is a very clean kill."

The former Thomas Tallis Secondary School pupil first got into shooting when he joined the cadets at the age of 13.

Within a year, he was awarded the marksman award after scoring 73 out of 74 on the shooting range the highest score in the history of the Dulwich army cadets.

A leading bird control expert says the best way to rid the town of the thousands of pigeons is to cut off their food source the method London Mayor Ken Livingstone ordered to be used in Trafalgar Square. Guy Merchant, founder of Cambridgeshire-based Pigeon Control Advisory Service says killing the birds would only encourage them to breed in an attempt to replenish their numbers.

July 17, 2002 12:30