Church urged to remove netting after bird death

Calls have been made for protective netting to be removed from a church after a dead pigeon was found hanging from it.

All Saints' Parish Church in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, says the netting protects pedestrians from falling masonry during structural repairs and cannot be removed immediately.

Anna Cooke discovered the pigeon while searching for another bird which two people said had string attached to its feet.

She explained: "I saw this dead bird hanging in this netting, and I was just absolutely horrified. I just wanted it to be urgently fixed because obviously it's then a risk to other wildlife."

Cooke wants the netting removed or replaced with a more humane alternative.

She said: "Anyone that puts that netting up, it's cruel and inhumane in the first place.

"As soon as it breaks, it's a hazard. It's high up and they clearly cannot, in my opinion, maintain it because of the height it's at."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a churchwarden rejected suggestions that All Saints' had ignored the concerns.

The warden said: "We have already sought specialist advice regarding the replacement of the existing netting with more modern and secure materials."

The church said scaffolding made sections difficult to access and that any work must be coordinated without compromising safety due to unstable masonry.

It said there was no evidence establishing the pigeon's cause of death or how it became trapped.

The warden added: "We fully recognise the importance of protecting wildlife, but we also have a responsibility to protect the thousands of people who pass through our churchyard and the surrounding public areas.

"Both responsibilities must be taken seriously."

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