A residential street is being plagued by up to 200 crows nesting in trees above the properties. Locals say the birds are constantly dropping excrement on parked cars and on the street, making it 'look like it has been snowing'.
One of the residents, taxi driver John Dempsey, said he has considered taking matters into his own hands to get rid of the birds. He said the crows are fed on junk food and roost in the trees outside his house.
The 55-year-old said the pavements are covered in excrement by his South London property and he has to clean his taxi everyday. He said the problem got worse after a fast food restaurant opened up nearby, MyLondon reports.
Mr Dempsey said: “They’re just [pooing] everywhere. The road is covered. It looks like it has snowed - there’s that much. Early in the morning there can be from 100 to 200 in the trees and up to 60 during the daytime.”
Mr Dempsey said people feed the birds chips, which has led the population of birds on the street to balloon. Despite claims he has reported the problem to Lewisham Council multiple times over the years, Mr Dempsey says nothing has ever been done to tackle the nuisance birds.
He said: “I’ve looked into killing them but there’s no way you can kill them legally. I’ve even thought about getting a Falcon but they’re not cheap. The trees need crowning and that should not make it a problem for the next five to six years. Ideally I want the trees cut down, but they’re never going to do that.”
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Mr Dempsey added: “I’ve contacted Lewisham again and they always say they will pass it on to the relevant department, but that’s all we get. I’m not hopeful anything will get done.”
Oana Olaru, councillor for Downham, said the problem had been raised with her in December last year while canvassing in the area. She said she had raised the issue with council staff, who have since inspected the trees. Workers intend to trim them within six months, she added.
A Lewisham Council spokesperson said: “While we are proud to champion the importance of trees and wildlife in the borough, we recognise the need to ensure these are managed responsibly in line with the needs of our residents. We are aware of issues caused by crows on this road and will be trimming back the branches of some of the trees as part of our regular pruning programme across the borough.”
