I live in Newtown and until recently had a garden haven full of blackbirds, robins, blue tits, thrush and others.

I have fed them for years but now they sit disconsolately in the magnolia tree while the pigeons move in and strip all their food.

It was inevitable I suppose that they would eventually move further out.

I am a country lady and know the importance of a reasonable amount of control, farmers have always quietly carried out this none too pleasant duty or the countryside would be overrun with just one or two of the more aggressive species.

Why then could our council not have followed their example and quietly and as humanly as possible rid us of these greedy messy birds without all this debate

A LAURIE,

Trowbridge.