Pigeon droppings littering Chapel High shopping precinct are irritating shoppers.

At least one person has fallen over and others are victims of pigeons splatterings from their perches above the shops.

Mr John Andrews, of Great Warley, has complained to Brentwood Borough Council after his wife fell on the precinct's slippery surface, made worse, he said, by pigeons' mess.

Following on from the URBED report on the future of the town centre, which called Chapel High "the hole in the heart of the town", Mr Andrews says: "Not only is it a "black hole", but a windswept hole.

"The tiling in the walkway is a positive menace under inclement weather conditons, and now further menaced by pigeon dropping from conveniently provided perches above the path."

Mr Andrews complaint to the council was aptly timed as the council's environmental health department had already contacted the precinct's management about the problem.

Head of environmental health and public protection services Simon Bennett said: "Before Mr Andrews called us the managing agents were already in the process of getting quotes for proofing part of the area where the pigeons are roosted.

"They are cleaning as a temporary measure twice a day, and we have been down there at different times to see what they are doing there."

Mr Bennett said that in general Brentwood's pigeon problem did appear to be getting worse and the council is actively trying to alleviate the issue by tracking down pigeons' favourite roosting spots in the town centre.

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