Cockerel served with an Asbo after complaint from anonymous neighbour

The owner of a cockerel who was served an ASBO warning because of his morning crows has said the situation is ‘upsetting’.

Artist Sue Farthing, 58, said she was threatened with a community protection notice by South Norfolk Council over the noise from her rooster, named Colonel.

Colonel is being locked away in his coop overnight, and artist Sue has even blacked out the windows to help prevent his cock-a-doodle-doos.

But Sue, who does not know who the complainant is, said the whole incident is ‘insanity’ and that Colonel only crows once in the morning and twice during the daytime.

The Community Protection Notice of the Anti-Social behavior Crime and Policing Act warning gives Sue a week to reduce the noise, or the police could come and seize Colonel.

A petition calling on the council to halt its action against Colonel has so far been signed by 600 people, many of them locals keen to preserve the area’s rural identity.

Sue said the incident showed how councils were ‘intent’ on destroying countryside life to appease city folk.

The artist said: ‘It’s quite upsetting. I’m a law-abiding citizen, and to have an ASBO threatened against me and Colonel is insanity. It’s out of proportion for the situation.

‘It sets a bad precedent for the future of the countryside. The council seem intent on destroying this way of life. Colonel and my chickens are my pets. This is not for farming purposes or financial gain.’

Sue moved to Aldeby, a small village with a population of just 400 people, three years ago and said the landscape is alive with muntjac, owls and cows.

Sue began keeping chickens as pets 18 months ago after rescuing one, but didn’t realise Colonel was a cockerel until he began crowing a few months later.

She decided to keep him to keep her seven hens in order and said he is a ‘lovely character’.

‘I thought he was a good addition to the group and vital to protect them from predators such as foxes,’ she added.

‘He did produce some young chicks, which I let hatch. I had a couple more cockerels, and I decided to rehome them as they were crowing a lot.’

The person who complained said Colonel’s crowing was ‘affecting their mental health’, prompting an investigation where Colonel’s cock-a-doodle-doos were monitored after the anonymous neighbor complained.

Sue was told Colonel needed to be kept quiet until after 8 am and so she began locking him away in the coop overnight and blacked out the windows.

She said: ‘I found it really improved the situation, but cockerels do have a natural body clock, so he can crow before sunrise. It only lasts a few minutes, and then we may hear one or two later in the day.’

But last week she received another letter, threatening her with a community protection order following further complaints, and that the police could seize Colonel and destroy him.

Sue is now working on a ‘bunker’ to help deaden the noise the Colonel makes, but said she would appeal to the council for more time to soundproof the coop.

‘You don’t move to the countryside and expect people to get rid of their animals,’ she said. ‘This is a waste of taxpayers’ money, and the council should be taking a common-sense approach. City folk should accept these noises as country life.’

A spokesman from South Norfolk Council said: ‘We engaged early with the owner of the cockerel and gave advice about how to reduce the impact of noise from the crowing on surrounding neighbors.

‘Unfortunately, further complaints were received, and evidence provided which demonstrates that crowing, coinciding with daybreak, can be heard very clearly within the complainant’s home.

‘It is considered that this is unreasonable and persistent, and accordingly the owners of the cockerel have received a formal warning which, if acted on appropriately, will be the end of the matter.’

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