Nearly 100 pigeons shot dead by ‘marksmen’ pest controllers at Manchester Victoria

Pigeons are a staple in cities – gathering for scraps of food, nesting in precarious areas and trying to get by.

So when Northern Trains contacted pest controllers to address the ‘unmanageable’ level of pigeons roosting in Manchester Victoria Station, the culling sparked outrage.

More than 100 birds living in the bustling station were killed by ‘pest controllers’ shooting at them over a period of two months after hours.

Members of the public took notice when, during early morning commutes, they stumbled across severely injured birds, many of whom were left to die slow deaths.

Manchester Pigeon Rehab, a local volunteer group which looks after the animals, said one pigeon named Victor was so injured that his leg had to be amputated.

‘A member of the public reported a grounded pigeon on the day of a cull. When the bird was taken into care, a pellet was found lodged in their neck,’ a spokesman added.

The British Transport Police are now actively investigating the cull after receiving reports about the allegedly ‘inhumane’ way of handling the pigeon population.

Service reports from the pest controllers found that on one night in October, 29 pigeons were killed.

The week after, 18 were taken, with a note on the report reading ‘better night tonight’.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 says that shooting pigeons as a form of pest control is illegal, but only if all other means of trying to get rid of them have been exhausted.

As of December, the culling has stopped, but video footage of injured pigeons has tugged at the heartstrings of animal lovers.

A spokesperson for Northern Trains told Metro: ‘This pest control activity was carried out at Manchester Victoria station last year, as the pigeons were becoming unmanageable and posing a risk to colleagues and customers.

‘This was undertaken by a licensed and specialist subcontractor, following surveys and risk assessments. We use a number of other methods to deal with pigeons at stations across our network.

‘We are reviewing the footage posted on social media and are sorry for any distress caused. Since the issue was brought to our attention in December, we have instructed our contractors to cease activity, and no further culls are planned at Manchester Victoria.’

Previously, a controversial plan to ‘massacre’ a flock of pigeons near canal-side flats in Chester was axed after bird lovers rallied for the animals.

Though the flocks of birds can be pesky. In 2023, a landlord who gave his tenants weeks to move out of their London flat came back to find a flock of 40 pigeons had taken over and caused £15,000 worth of damage.

Kitchen worktops, sofas, window sills, carpets and clothes were all covered with crusty excrement.

Pest controllers brought in to handle the situation described the stench of the place as ‘overwhelming’.

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