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And Rupert has claimed John has since become withdrawn and is refusing to go to school or even get out of bed.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.
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"John's been in a steep decline and his condition has become all the more profound. Part of his autism causes him to fixate on things and those chickens were his number one fascination.
"Since we got birds for him about a decade ago we've really seen him come out of his shell, but now he's clammed up again. It's got so bad he doesn't want to speak to anyone."
He added that studies have shown how keeping pets can prove to be a calming influence on children with autism, helping them develop their social abilities. Ysgol y Deri, a special school John attends in Penarth, even has its own resident chickens as part of its pupils' therapy.
"We have tried to get our chickens lodged somewhere else - Warren Mill Farm Park in Pendoylan - in the hope they can happily live out their days there." said Rupert. "But when the day in question came we only managed to catch one.
"The rest disappeared into the bushes and shrubbery around our garden and are now refusing to come out. It appears they don't want to say goodbye to John any more than he wants to say goodbye to them."
Rupert added that he couldn't understand how, the isolated fox attack incident aside, the noise caused by the birds could prove an issue for anyone living nearby.
"They're not like dogs yapping all the time. In fact, other than when they're laying eggs their clucking is barely audible.
"And neither am I blaming the council entirely - I'm sure they weren't aware of the effect all this would have on my son. I just think they could've been a lot less heavy handed about it."
A Vale of Glamorgan Council spokesperson said: "Officers working for Shared Regulatory Services, on behalf of the council, have checked on the welfare of birds at this address and also responded to reports relating to noise. We are working constructively with the owner towards a satisfactory resolution on both counts."
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