THE long-running battle over how to tackle the pigeon problem in Trowbridge has taken a new twist.

The town council has been working with an international pigeon advisory service to try and come up with a solution to a problem that has dogged the town for over four years, but plans hit another stumbling block this week.

Guy Merchant from PICAS international (Pigeon Control Advisory Service) is refusing to work with the council claiming it has not kept him updated and has given information to the press without his knowledge, claims the council deny.

He said: "We will not be having any more contact with the town council. The whole thing is just obscenely ridiculous. I just can't believe it."

An action plan was drawn up between the town and district councils and PICAS in May to try and solve the problem by setting up roosting or feeding sites in the town.

Mr Merchant said he had not heard from the council since the spring, despite a survey of potential sites being planned for July.

He said there had been a similar breakdown in communications after a meeting in January 2003, when he had not heard anything until he was contacted by a journalist from the Sunday Telegraph four months later.

Town councillor Tom James said he does not understand Mr Merchant's claims and the council was proceeding with the action plan, although illness and staff changes had resulted in a delay.

He said: "We have got an action plan and we are working with that. We definitely haven't decided we won't work with PICAS, all we have done is get a little behind."

Mr Merchant has agreed to work through West Wiltshire District Council and has offered to go ahead with the survey in Trowbridge.

Council spokesman Louise Knox said: "As far as we are concerned we have an action plan between the town and district councils and we still want advice from PICAS, but it is still our intention to let this go forward as a town council-led project.

"How this will change as a result of what has happened this week we don't know but we can act as a liaison if required."

The birds are believed to have caused hundreds of thousands of pounds of damage to buildings in the town centre.

The town council proposed a cull in June 2000 and reconsidered the idea in 2003 but the plans were shelved both times after an outcry from animal rights campaigners.