Wildlife-loving pensioner is threatened with £2,500 fine because she feeds the birds.

Antaletriangle · 02-20-2009, 11:40 PM

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...eds-birds.html

When snow descended on the country earlier this month, Pam Todd was more determined than ever to make sure there was plenty of food available for the local birds.
The keen twitcher braved the elements to spread a few handfuls of bird seed in her back garden and on the front communal lawn outside her bungalow, as she has done for the last 20 years.
But the wildlife-loving pensioner has suddenly been told to stop her favourite pastime - or run the risk of a £2,500 fine and court conviction.
Milton Keynes Council claimed in a letter that by feeding the birds, Mrs Todd, who suffers from severe arthritis, is guilty of littering and can face punishment under 'clean neighbourhood' legislation within the Environmental Protection Act.
Yesterday the grandmother-of-five vowed to carry on feeding the birds - as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds(RSPB) backed her plight.
Mrs Todd, from Bletchley, Milton Keynes, said: 'I cannot understand what I've done wrong.
'I was trembling with shock when I opened the letter, and afterwards had a good cry.
'What right has anyone got to preach to me about what I can and can't do? Why are they trying to spoil my innocent pleasure, when it puts these little creatures at risk?
'I'll discuss with my family how far I should push this, but the most important thing in all this nonsense is the welfare of the birds.'
The council claim that by leaving seed and crusts on the council-owned communal lawn, she is guilty of littering in a public place under section 87 (1) of the Environmental Protection Act.
The authority said she can be fined £75 or, if the matter goes to court, given a maximum fine of £2, 500 for littering.
Mrs Todd, 66, a keen member of her local Wildlife Trust who has three grown up children, said: 'The council is accusing me of putting out food waste and vegetable peelings, but I don't do that.
'I go to the market and buy a £1 bag of wild bird food and I also put out a few crusts and the occasional apple peel.
'Sometimes, as a real treat, I give them a corn on the cob - but I always pick up the husk when they've finished with it.
'The starlings, blue-tits, robins and sparrows are always grateful, particularly when its snowing and they can't find food.
'I only feed them once a day, so it is not like I leave out unsightly piles of food overnight, and encourage vermin.' She is supported by her husband Martin, 56, her full-time carer.
The RSPB ran a national emergency campaign during the bad weather urging people to feed their garden birds.
The charity's spokesman Gemma Rogers said: 'Food people put out during such severe snow is actually the difference between life and death for wild birds.
'I have heard of threatened prosecutions like this one before but only in extreme cases when people have put out great piles of food and attract rats
'But I have never heard of a person being threatened with a fine for feeding a few wild birds outside their home.'
The council's letter was allegedly prompted by a complaint from a new resident who recently moved in to the eight bungalow complex on the Lakes Estate, Bletchley, Bucks.
The bungalows are grouped around the communal square lawn and were built as council accommodation. Now six of the eight, including Mrs Todd's, are privately owned.
Milton Keynes council spokesman Tony Bacon said anybody who drops food items in a public place could be deemed guilty of littering.
He said: 'We support the use of bird feeders and other ways of feeding wildlife in people's own gardens but will treat as littering anyone who disposes of waste food such as vegetable peelings in public areas.'
He said the authority had sent an officer to view the bird feed left by Mrs Todd after receiving a complaint she was discarding vegetable peelings. Mr Bacon said the letter was meant as a warning to advise that such behaviour should not happen again

Dr MAG · 02-22-2009, 02:15 PM

One person's response to the Milton Keynes Council:
To the Milton Keynes Council

On the internet, an article regarding Pam Todd and your treatment of her feeding the birds provoked in me a bitter gall.

Your letter to her? This is what happens when bureaucracy loses sight of natural human interaction with the animal world. And where that interaction becomes offensive because it is anomalous from the straight and narrow, sterile and neat lines we wish to draw through every vestige of once normal activity. It is another symptom of the withdrawal of the mental mind from the natural. Where the natural becomes the strange. Please investigate this direction the council is apparently taking: it is not healthy.

Please draw up more humane guidelines and help educate the community to be more humane before humanity ends up being a missing human trait.

Yours Sincerely

02-20-2009, 11:40 PM	#1
Antaletriangle Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: U.K. Posts: 3,380	Wildlife-loving pensioner is threatened with £2,500 fine because she feeds the birds. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...eds-birds.html When snow descended on the country earlier this month, Pam Todd was more determined than ever to make sure there was plenty of food available for the local birds. The keen twitcher braved the elements to spread a few handfuls of bird seed in her back garden and on the front communal lawn outside her bungalow, as she has done for the last 20 years. But the wildlife-loving pensioner has suddenly been told to stop her favourite pastime - or run the risk of a £2,500 fine and court conviction. Milton Keynes Council claimed in a letter that by feeding the birds, Mrs Todd, who suffers from severe arthritis, is guilty of littering and can face punishment under 'clean neighbourhood' legislation within the Environmental Protection Act. Yesterday the grandmother-of-five vowed to carry on feeding the birds - as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds(RSPB) backed her plight. Mrs Todd, from Bletchley, Milton Keynes, said: 'I cannot understand what I've done wrong. 'I was trembling with shock when I opened the letter, and afterwards had a good cry. 'What right has anyone got to preach to me about what I can and can't do? Why are they trying to spoil my innocent pleasure, when it puts these little creatures at risk? 'I'll discuss with my family how far I should push this, but the most important thing in all this nonsense is the welfare of the birds.' The council claim that by leaving seed and crusts on the council-owned communal lawn, she is guilty of littering in a public place under section 87 (1) of the Environmental Protection Act. The authority said she can be fined £75 or, if the matter goes to court, given a maximum fine of £2, 500 for littering. Mrs Todd, 66, a keen member of her local Wildlife Trust who has three grown up children, said: 'The council is accusing me of putting out food waste and vegetable peelings, but I don't do that. 'I go to the market and buy a £1 bag of wild bird food and I also put out a few crusts and the occasional apple peel. 'Sometimes, as a real treat, I give them a corn on the cob - but I always pick up the husk when they've finished with it. 'The starlings, blue-tits, robins and sparrows are always grateful, particularly when its snowing and they can't find food. 'I only feed them once a day, so it is not like I leave out unsightly piles of food overnight, and encourage vermin.' She is supported by her husband Martin, 56, her full-time carer. The RSPB ran a national emergency campaign during the bad weather urging people to feed their garden birds. The charity's spokesman Gemma Rogers said: 'Food people put out during such severe snow is actually the difference between life and death for wild birds. 'I have heard of threatened prosecutions like this one before but only in extreme cases when people have put out great piles of food and attract rats 'But I have never heard of a person being threatened with a fine for feeding a few wild birds outside their home.' The council's letter was allegedly prompted by a complaint from a new resident who recently moved in to the eight bungalow complex on the Lakes Estate, Bletchley, Bucks. The bungalows are grouped around the communal square lawn and were built as council accommodation. Now six of the eight, including Mrs Todd's, are privately owned. Milton Keynes council spokesman Tony Bacon said anybody who drops food items in a public place could be deemed guilty of littering. He said: 'We support the use of bird feeders and other ways of feeding wildlife in people's own gardens but will treat as littering anyone who disposes of waste food such as vegetable peelings in public areas.' He said the authority had sent an officer to view the bird feed left by Mrs Todd after receiving a complaint she was discarding vegetable peelings. Mr Bacon said the letter was meant as a warning to advise that such behaviour should not happen again Last edited by Antaletriangle; 02-20-2009 at 11:49 PM.

02-22-2009, 02:15 PM	#2
Dr MAG Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Sgr.A Posts: 19	Re: Wildlife-loving pensioner is threatened with £2,500 fine because she feeds the bi One person's response to the Milton Keynes Council: To the Milton Keynes Council On the internet, an article regarding Pam Todd and your treatment of her feeding the birds provoked in me a bitter gall. Your letter to her? This is what happens when bureaucracy loses sight of natural human interaction with the animal world. And where that interaction becomes offensive because it is anomalous from the straight and narrow, sterile and neat lines we wish to draw through every vestige of once normal activity. It is another symptom of the withdrawal of the mental mind from the natural. Where the natural becomes the strange. Please investigate this direction the council is apparently taking: it is not healthy. Please draw up more humane guidelines and help educate the community to be more humane before humanity ends up being a missing human trait. Yours Sincerely