RESIDENTS of a north Hampshire village have been spitting feathers since the arrival of a pigeon fancier and his flock of birds.

Neighbours whose gardens back on to Peter Campbell's bungalow in Hill Road, Oakley, have been left upset and angry since he and his pigeons moved into the village last March.

After complaining to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's environmental health and planning departments about Mr Campbell's two garden pigeon lofts, some of the residents have resorted to unorthodox tactics to scare the racing pigeons away.

One couple have erected two life-sized eagle owl ornaments on tall poles in their garden to frighten the birds, while the other residents take it in turns to position a large, hawk-shaped kite on their properties.

Mr Campbell, 43, said his neighbours have complained that the pigeons are noisy, swoop down on them in their gardens and leave mess on their washing lines.

"I'm not sleeping and the pigeons are traumatised," he said.

"I'm nervous about letting them out but I want them to be fit for racing in April so I have to let them exercise.

"The kite scares them so they panic and split up, colliding with each other and the tree branches. It makes them nervous and jumpy and could damage their wings."

Mr Campbell said he releases 42 pigeons daily between 8am and 9am during the winter months, and they usually return after about an hour.

He also has another 12 stock birds and is breeding another 50.

He moved to the area from Carlisle, Cumbria, with his wife Karen, 28, and their children, aged seven, five, two and 11 weeks, because this region is better for pigeon-racing competitions.

Mr Campbell said: "It's an underlying thing that seems to go deeper than the pigeons. But we're staying and the pigeons are staying.

"I'm a thick-skinned northerner and I'm not going to run away.

"I've called the police seven times but they say it's a civil matter so there's nothing they can do."

Mrs Campbell said: "I'd understand if we were partying all hours, or if we were druggies, but we keep ourselves to ourselves and we're just trying to get on with our lives."

Councillor Sean Keating, the borough Cabinet member for communities and regeneration, said: "We take all reports of anti-social behaviour and harassment seriously and will advise and investigate where necessary.

"It is important to obtain evidence if a resident feels they are being harassed or experiencing anti-social behaviour.

"We need the resident to keep a log of all incidents associated with the situation and we can then investigate accordingly. This is the first step in identifying the severity of the problem.

"Often, with neighbour disputes involving pets, and, in this instance, homing pigeons, we suggest mediation as the first step to resolving the situation."

When approached by The Gazette, none of the neighbours wished to comment about the dispute.

First published: Monday, January 30, 2006