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Residents clean up pigeon poo ahead of poetry fest

Charlotte Benton
BBC News, West Midlands
John Whitelegg An older man in a dark red t-shirt and beige shorts. He is standing in alleyway and holding a shovel, only the handle can be seen. The man has a grey beard and short grey hair. He is pensively looking at the camera. John Whitelegg
Chair of Ledbury Market Committee, John Whitelegg, helped to clean up the bird droppings

Residents have taken it upon themselves to clean up "unsightly and smelly" pigeon poo in their town ahead of its annual poetry festival.

A walkway in Ledbury, which connects the town centre to Burgage Hall, had been plagued with the droppings, the town's market committee chair John Whitelegg said.

The group expressed concerns that it was unpleasant for residents and visitors and carried out a clean up effort on Friday ahead of the town's festival which is held at the hall.

The festival, which features artists such as Lemn Sissay, Michael Rosen and Roger McGough as well as workshops and walks, runs until 6 July.

John Whitelegg Pigeon poo on the floor of an alleyway. The bottom of a man's legs can be seen standing next to the droppings. He is also holding a shovel and a brush near to the mess.John Whitelegg
The droppings had collected in the alleyway that connects Ledbury town centre and Burgage Hall

Mr Whitelegg described the town as "delightful" and said walking through bird poo should not be part of the "Ledbury experience".

He said he hoped Herefordshire Council, the town council, and Ledbury Civic Society, who are responsible for Burgage Hall, would help to arrange a "regular cleaning programme".

He added that it was "astonishing and unacceptable" that the bird droppings had not been cleaned up before the market group intervened.

Impressionist Alistair McGowan and "Jurgen Klopp"

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