It’s a strange world where the directly elected leader of London only makes the news when he says something which causes real or imagined offence or someone else is attacking him.
Mayor Ken makes the news again today with a number of stories attacking him for spending £226,000 on two hawks over the past 6 years in an attempt to scare off the pigeons who have long infested Trafalgar Square.
Long time opponents in the London League of Flying Rats have joined forces with the Liberal Democrat AM Mike Tuffrey to question “the effectiveness of the hawk as well as its value for money” though unlike the flying rat lovers Tuffrey does accept the “pigeons…are a nuisance and a health hazard”.
Under Livingstone’s leadership Trafalgar Square has been successfully pedestrianised and returned to public use for events such as Simcha on the Square, earlier this year the BBC turned it into a ballroom and next month will see it host Diwali on the Square.
£226,000 and the deaths of a few insufficiently airborne vermin seem a price well worth paying for such a culturally rich series of free public events.
Hate mail to the usual address…
Captain Rat says
Twice the price would be good value to get rid of the dirty little critters – would people still be complaining if Avian Flu became a reality?
Kate says
Seconded. I’m afraid I’d much rather protect a Grade II listed monument, not be s**t upon and enjoy free cultural events. Whilst I fully support many animal welfare causes, and would never condone creulty, this simply isn’t happening. The birds, with the exception of the very few weak and sick captured by the hawk, are simply being displaced – hopefully a bit more evenly!