A man has been fined and given a formal warning after he was caught feeding the pigeons in the car park of Aldi in South Bristol.
Bristol City Council's Neighbourhood Enforcement Team said that they had received several reports about the man feeding pigeons in the car park of Aldi on North Street in Ashton Gate.
This is a location famous for the Upfest mural of Greta Thunberg, by Bristol artist Jody Thomas, on the side of the next door Tobacco Factory.
They said local businesses were complaining that their properties were being covered in bird droppings, because the number of pigeons gathering for the regular feeds every morning before the store opened was causing a problem.
A member of the council's Neighbourhood Enforcement Team laid in wait for the bird feeder, who has not been named by the council, to arrive early one morning this month, saw them feed the birds and was able to log the number plate of the car he was driving - he was tracked through the DVLA and the council enforcement team paid him a visit.
A spokesperson for the Neighbourhood Enforcement Team said there were many concerns about the impact of attracting so many birds in this way.
"Local business were also sharing their concerns, as they properties were becoming covered in bird droppings. Droppings can lead to several diseases, including a flu-like illness called psittacosis," she said.
"After a tip off from a member of the public, an officer witnessed the offender early one morning feeding pigeons in Aldi car park. They were able to get their vehicle registration and a DVLA check was carried out.
"The offender was issued with a fixed penalty for littering as well as a community protection warning prohibiting him from feeding birds in any street or car park in the City of Bristol. The fine has now been paid," she added.
It's not the first time the Neighbourhood Enforcement Team has had to issue an order to someone creating a bird nuisance by regular feeding.
In 2019, the team acted after a woman in Westbury-on-Trym regularly created what was described as like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds at home.
