The father of an autistic teenager has hit out at his local council after it ordered his son to rehome his pet chickens, leaving him distraught. John Montgomery, 18, has kept a small flock of bantams in the back garden of his home in Barry for the last 10 years, during which time his family say they've noticed a sizeable improvement in his social skills.
But, following a recent fox attack on the birds' coup whilst John and his parents were away on holiday, a noise complaint was filed by a neighbour. As a result, dad Rupert said officers from Vale of Glamorgan Council instructed that the creatures be removed from their Ffordd Cwm Cidi address.
And Rupert has claimed John has since become withdrawn and is refusing to go to school or even get out of bed. "He's taken it very badly, I'm afraid," said the 74-year-old retired Home Office worker.
