'£136,000 cost of war on pigeons'

Huge sums of public money have been spent removing pigeons from Trafalgar Square.

A Harris hawk was hired at a cost of £106,000 to scare off the birds, while a further £30,000 went on a scientific study to check their health was not harmed by a reduced feeding scheme.

Liberal Democrats say this worked out at almost £28 for every one of the 4,900 pigeons removed.

The scheme was instigated by Mayor Ken Livingstone in 2002 as part of a transformation of the square, designed to promote al fresco dining alongside the pedestrianisation of the north terrace.

Agreement was struck with animal rights groups to reduce the amount of pigeon feed. The birds were fed earlier in the morning - with the hawk used to deter them from returning later in the day.

Now Mr Livingstone has revealed this cost a total of £136,000 in the last financial year - though the cost is expected to fall to £29,000 this year. Only 150 birds now live in the square.

Mike Tuffrey, Lib-Dem environment spokesman on the London Assembly, said: "Serious questions must be asked about how on earth a hawk costs £106,000 to hire for a year.

"It is a nonsense that so much cash is paid for the use of a bird. Mr Livingstone's failure to get real value for money means that Londoners will continue to suffer from huge increases in their council tax bills."

The Mayor has denied the claims, saying: "Serious questions must be asked about whether Mike Tuffrey is in favour of cleaning up this international landmark or whether he wants it to go back to being a pigeon toilet. He must make up his mind.

"The success of the programme means that its costs are now declining sharply. The cost of the hawk has actually fallen from £105,000 last year to just £25,000 this year, as Mike Tuffrey knows perfectly well but chooses not to highlight. Indeed, the hawk has become a tourist attraction in its own right.

"The programme has been successful in reducing the pigeon population in a humane way from some 5000 pigeons swarming over the square in 2000 to a more manageable 100 this year. It is a stunning success that has made the square a substantially more pleasant place and a venue for a series of enjoyable events.

"As a result of the pigeon-reduction programme, major cleaning of many of the statues and flagstones on the Square has not been required, saving the taxpayer from having to clean up the huge and unpleasant amounts of pigeon faeces on a regular basis. Mike Tuffrey is welcome to his nostalgia for the bad old days of pigeon faeces stacking up all over this historic landmark but I for one prefer the new, improved Trafalgar Square."