RESIDENTS have welcomed council action to stop a neighbour feeding hundreds of pigeons in her garden.

People have been asking Lewisham Council for nine years to stop Norma Hughes feeding the birds at her home in Playgreen Way, Bellingham.

They say the large amounts of bird poo in their gardens has become a major health hazard and has caused more than £1,000 of damage to roofs and gutters.

Now the council is threatening tenant Ms Hughes with eviction if she does not stop feeding the birds by Monday.

But the mother-of-one says she has no intention of stopping as she feels she is helping nature.

She said: "I'm still going to continue to feed the birds.

"I don't understand how the council can say I've been causing damage.

"The birds are not here long enough to do that.

"I'm helping them to survive in the wilderness."

Ms Hughes, who is unemployed, received a notice for seeking possession of her home on December 22.

She added: "I'm not doing anything seriously wrong.

"It's against the law to be horrible against birds."

Next-door neighbour Mandy Nash, 37, who set up a petition in 1996 to persuade the council to stop Ms Hughes feeding the birds, feels eviction is a step too far.

The mother-of-one said: "We welcome the council's efforts. But she should not be evicted for something which should have been dealt with nine years ago.

"We've never been able to enjoy our garden and can't put our washing out because we don't want it to be covered with bird poo."

Cabinet member for housing Councillor Susan Wise says the council has written to Ms Hughes five times since July, met with her three times and made eight observation visits.

But she has never taken the advice seriously.

Cllr Wise said: "The notice was the only way we felt she would listen to us.

"We've sent officers to Ms Hughes to explain to her pigeons are a major health hazard to herself and others.

"We sincerely hope she does stop. If Ms Hughes continues to ignore our requests, we will be left with no alternative but to start legal proceedings to seek possession of her house.

"Ms Hughes can put a stop to this at any time, simply by not feeding the pigeons."

A WING AND A PRAYER

SOME of the 60 transmissible diseases associated with pigeons:

Salmonellosis bacteria found in bird roppings, which causes diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramps;

Psittacosis Causes lung disease in humans;

Tuberculosis A bacterial infection affecting the lungs;

Ornithosis and Histoplasmosis Two forms of fatal respiratory diseases;

Candidiasis a fungal infection affecting the skin, mouth and respiratory system;

St Louis Encephalitis an inflammation of the nervous system, usually causes drowsiness, headaches and fever which can result in paralysis, coma or death.