Liverpool City Council claims people who feed pigeons are mentally ill
By John Willis
Liverpool City Council claims “Pigeon feeding is often undertaken by individuals with mental health needs.”
The city’s Street Activity Management Plan claims that cleaning up pigeon droppings is a £160,000 a year bill. A 2007 survey was supposed to identify persistent bird feeders in view of prosecution, but the plan never went ahead because the report found that many were suffering from mental health issues. Instead, the Council splashed out on mechanical birds of prey placed on buildings all over the city to scare pigeons away.
Liberal group leader, Councillor Steve Radford said “The claim is incredibly insulting. There are people who like feeding pigeons without thinking of the consequences, but to call them mentally ill is just ludicrous. - We have seen problems with pigeon-feeding but to suggest mental health problems is not only stereotyping but incredibly offensive.”
The Council is standing behind its claim and said “This is not to say that everybody who feeds pigeons falls into that category”.
Charlotte Fantelli, editor of Mental Healthy responds by saying “the one in four of us who struggle with mental illness are yet again being represented in the most ridiculous way. It sickens me to hear such preposterous claims stereotyping my fellow sufferers. If the council were to make such blanket remarks about gays or ethnic minorities they would be held to account, so why is it we are still allowed to stereotype the mentally ill?.
‘Not only do mental illness sufferers get portrayed as straight jacket wearing, violent criminals in the media, we now all feed pigeons too…? That’s progress for you!’
Have your say on Twitter - @Mental_Healthy
