An eye-catching attempt to make Morpeth Railway Station a no-go area for pigeons

Northern is aiming to force pigeons to take flight with the trial of a new deterrent at Morpeth Railway Station.
By Andrew Coulson
Published 16th Oct 2023, 10:55 BST
Updated 16th Oct 2023, 10:55 BST
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Plastic owls have been placed on the station roof and canopy to scare pigeons away, as research has shown that this has been effective in removing pigeons from private residences.

Other stations are getting similar treatment – for example, the playing of predatory hawk sounds.

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The train operator's ‘counter offensive’ follows particular problems at Morpeth, which it says has become a problematic poo hotspot.

Plastic owls have been placed on the station roof and canopy to scare pigeons away.Plastic owls have been placed on the station roof and canopy to scare pigeons away.
Plastic owls have been placed on the station roof and canopy to scare pigeons away.

Kerry Peters, regional director at Northern, said: “We want to make sure our stations are a ‘no-go’ area for pigeons and make them fly the coop in a way that is humane and harmless.

“We clean all our stations regularly and we take the impact the mess has on our communities and the environment very seriously.”

The trials will remain in place until the end of November and if successful could be rolled out across the Northern network.