Known as Birmingham’s Birdman
A Birmingham man has been cautioned and fined after he left seeds for birds on a city street.
Adnan Mir, who has been dubbed the “Birdman of Birmingham”, has now been threatened with court action after Birmingham City Council accused father of ignoring warning.
The Council has warned him that if he does not stop then he faces a possible fine of up to £5,000 as “the food had attracted vermin and residents have started to complain.”
However Mr Mir does not understand why the council are in a ‘flap’.
“It’s excessive of the council to expend a large amount of resources to catch a pigeon feeder. I’m not committing a crime.
According to Mr Mir he had started to leave the food for the pigeons on Church Road and Croft Road in Yardley two years ago when the old lady who originally fed the birds for 35 years died.
“The pigeons kept coming down expecting her. I felt sorry for them and started feeding them. I would put down three kilograms and up to 150 birds would come down. The food was gone within half an hour and I was not making a mess.”
Over the last two years he has had a £50 penalty, but he say’s that all he is doing is tending to “God’s creatures.”
“I had compliments from old people. But some people said they were vermin and I shouldn’t feed them, that they had diseases and were flying rats.”
A spokesperson for the council said, “We have taken a proportionate response to this matter and have given Mr Mir several warnings on the back of numerous residents’ complaints. The bird seed being thrown in the street is attracting rats and pigeons to the area, which risks public health and damage to properties.”
“In addition, its presence leaves the area looking unsightly and encourages further littering and fly tipping. We have tried to work with Mr Mir but unfortunately our warnings have been ignored. We would hate to get to the stage where a prosecution was an option, but the continuation of dumping bird seeds in the street means this may be a consideration. “
