£50.00 Fixed Penalty Fine For Feeding The Birds (1 Viewer)

Hello from Cornwall.
Good afternoon everyone. I am a new member so would like to tell you how i found this website and why i was looking for just such a website. My daughter Janine and her husband George Cope have recently been issued with a £50 fixed penalty fine for feeding the birds. The fine was issued to GEORGE AFTER HE HAD SCATTERED A LOVELY MIX OF, MEAL WORMS, SULTANAS, MIXED NUTS AND MIXED SEED, SUNLOWERSEEDS AND HEARTS ETC. GEORGE IS BEING PROSECUTED FOR DROPPING LITTER.
Well George isn't paying the fine which he has been warned if it goes to court could rise to £2.500.00 and or a jail sentence. some of you may have seen Janine and George in the press on Tv and radio because this article caused a huge media circus last week. The RSPB issued a statement erring on the side of the council say of course we want people to feed the birds but not dumping large amounts of bread that may become a health hazard. This Pathetic statement is just not good enough, Janine has been a responsible and valued RSPB member for 8 years so why hasn't an RSPB spokesman come out and nailed thier colours to the mast and get of that fence that they sit so firmly on all the time. My daughter and her husband needs all the support they can get when this gets to court. If specialist specificly bought bird food is indeed classed as litter when it is scattered for the birds then surely the RSPB should when appealing for us to feed the birds add to thier appeal that you do so at your own risk because you may be found guilty of dropping litter and fined £50.00 the same warning should be issued when Bill Oddie as he did last year on spring watch asked everyone to spare just five minutes of thier time to feed the birds. The wild bird food producers and sellers should also issue warning.
Janine is a very erudite ornithologist who has five local feeding stations also her own large garden which is a birds paradise, most importantly she knows exactly which type of food to feed each species with, how much to put down,when to put it down, keeps all her tables,hangers,feeders and baths meticulously clean and devotes at least 25 hours a week to the birds. i am hoping to attach a photograph from the The Rotherham Advertiser of Janine showing a starling eating a meal worm from her hand. Janine replaced this starlings mum when mum sadly was taken by a sparrow hawk when the starling was just fledging so Janine patiently trained it to come when she whistled and feed from her hand. I hope all you bird lovers out there can give Janine and George some kind of support when they go to court in thier fight to get this stupid litter law changed, they will if necessary take this to the house of lords.
I will just add that a kind local business man Central Garage Owner Bruce Pearson from Kiveton Park did offer to pay the fine which although very grateful George turned down. Chairman of the London Pigeon Society has telephoned Jan and George to say they will back them and finance it 100% if it goes to court and an ex lady resident of Kiveton Park who now lives in America has heard about this and telephoned to say she will pay all the legal costs to fight this case.

Asarnie12 said:

Janine is a very erudite ornithologist who has five local feeding stations also her own large garden which is a birds paradise, most importantly she knows exactly which type of food to feed each species with, how much to put down,when to put it down, keeps all her tables,hangers,feeders and baths meticulously clean and devotes at least 25 hours a week to the birds. .

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This is very admirable, but it begs the question why she felt the need to extend her feeding activities to a public area where not everyone might appreciate excess birds being attracted. I would say if she had five feeding stations on the go, plus her garden, a public car park was perhaps not really necessary.

There is already a thread debating this case here on the forum.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=50517&highlight=bird+feeding

The RSPB issued a statement erring on the side of the council say of course we want people to feed the birds but not dumping large amounts that may become a health hazard.

This Pathetic statement is just not good enough

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I don't understand - why is this pathetic or not good enough? It seems a balanced and sensible compromise to me.

re jans five stations

Jos Stratford said:

This is very admirable, but it begs the question why she felt the need to extend her feeding activities to a public area where not everyone might appreciate excess birds being attracted. I would say if she had five feeding stations on the go, plus her garden, a public car park was perhaps not really necessary.

There is already a thread debating this case here on the forum.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=50517&highlight=bird+feeding

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Janine loves the wild birds, she would if she could afford to feed all the birds in this country however her feeding stations are in a car park library well before the library opens in a morning and on the one day a week that a car boot sale is held there she abstains from feeding the birds . a wood close by where the birds wait for her arrival a long foot path leading to open countryside a large pub car park which has hedges surrounding it and an open area of land near the school. thankyou for your comment and your interest

pathetic not good enough

dbradnum said:

I don't understand - why is this pathetic or not good enough? It seems a balanced and sensible compromise to me.

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it is pathetic for a RSPB spokesman to just agree with the council that Janine had dumped large quantities of bread without questioning or even considering that surely none f thier members would do this as Janine didn't As you know people who join the RSPB do so at a cost they take the birds and the birds enviromon seriously and before issueing any statement could have contacted Janine and George about this.
Thankyou for your interest. Anne

Asarnie12 said:

it is pathetic for a RSPB spokesman to just agree with the council that Janine had dumped large quantities of bread without questioning or even considering that surely none f thier members would do this as Janine didn't As you know people who join the RSPB do so at a cost they take the birds and the birds enviromon seriously and before issueing any statement could have contacted Janine and George about this.
Thankyou for your interest. Anne

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Did the RSPB actually agree with the council in definite terms, or are you just reading that into their statement? What you've posted suggests that they made an overall policy statement, without relating it directly to the case in point. (But maybe there's more to it than this).

Belonging to the RSPB doesn't give you any right to their support whatever you do. The RSPB can't generalise and say "surely none of our members would do this"... because to do so would be naive and presumptuous. It has a vast number of members, and I'm sure there are more than a few who do things that the RSPB cannot condone.

Asarnie12 said:

Hello from Cornwall.
God afternoon everyone. I am a new member so would like to tell you how i found this website and why i was looking for just such a website. My daughter Janine and her husband George Cope have recently been issued with a £50 fixed penalty fine for feeding the birds. .

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Where has common sence gone!!

Firstly pay the fine. Save us the taxpayers the expence of the court hearing.

Secondly use the proposed court costs to benefit birds not make solicitors richer.

Thirdly feed the birds where you will not cause nuisance of offence to others.

As mentioned above, this situation has been discussed in length on here and I suggest you read the thread.

Personally I have no sympathy. They were warned not to do it but chose to ignore the law. You may think the law is stupid and you may be right, but it doesn't mean you can break it.
I agree with Hayfireldgolfer, pay the fine and save us taxpayers the cost of the case going to court.

Asarnie12 said:

Hello from Cornwall.
If specialist specificly bought bird food is indeed classed as litter when it is scattered for the birds then surely the RSPB should when appealing for us to feed the birds add to thier appeal that you do so at your own risk because you may be found guilty of dropping litter and fined £50.00 the same warning should be issued when Bill Oddie as he did last year on spring watch asked everyone to spare just five minutes of thier time to feed the birds. The wild bird food producers and sellers should also issue warning.

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This is ridiculous. The RSPB spokesperson ought to be taken away for immediate training on how to keep members. As for the council, suggest they should be targetting litter louts who drop non degradable litter such as cigarette stubs etc. Birds devour food; hence the reason why people need to continually top up feeders!

You are quite right to expect a warning on packaging produced by any seed manufacturer or bird society which allows it's name to be used on wild bird packaging.

I will send George a letter of support.

Keep posting. You will probably find that those people who don't support your plight are likely to be connected to such organisations in some way or another.

Thyme said:

Keep posting. You will probably find that those people who don't support your plight usually have a hidden agenda or perhaps work for the organisations involved.

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... or perhaps, less glamorously, just have an alternative point of view.

What has the RSPB spokesperson done that's so horribly wrong - I still can't see evidence of anything more than making a balanced policy statement without passing judgement on the case in discussion.

Leaving this particular case aside, should the RSPB be trying to keep members by actively supporting them even when they break the law? I don't think so.

Whilst I have every sympathy for the couple involved, it would seem that they were aware that there may be consequences to suffer, but chose to ignore the warnings.

Although the birds were obviously benefitting from this kind-hearted gesture, I would imagine that other wildlife, in the way of vermin, would also be attracted to a regular feeding station.

Yes. The law is an ass, but the local by-laws, wherever they may be, are passed by duly elected councillors who usually spend a lot of time weighing up all the "pros" and "cons" of an arguement before making a decision.

I appreciate that this may be a matter of principle for the couple involved, but principles can have a very high price to pay. On the other hand, the council not only has the principle, but also the law on it's side.

As I said, I can sympathize with the couple, but I agree with others. It's time to bite the bullet, pay the fine and get on with their lives without trying to turn themselves into celebrity eco-warriors.

By the way. I live in Spain and have no "hidden agenda".

Was there bread in with the seeds.?? I though litter was paper. If you live near a Mc Donalds you will know what litter is. That said I dont agree with feeding birds in a public area It does encourage rats. There is one rat to every 10ft of space. Maybe they should employ rat catchers.

dbradnum said:

... or perhaps, less glamorously, just have an alternative point of view.

What has the RSPB spokesperson done that's so horribly wrong - I still can't see evidence of anything more than making a balanced policy statement without passing judgement on the case in discussion.

Leaving this particular case aside, should the RSPB be trying to keep members by actively supporting them even when they break the law? I don't think so.

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Of course not. But what we have here is not some RSPB member or member of the public raiding birds nests, stealing eggs but someone dedicated to birds who happens to feed birds. What is so terrible about that?

So here we have someone who wants to feed birds being fined £2,500 and yet egg thieves getting away with blue murder often with lesser fines. Anyone who feeds birds understands that the the food doesn't last long for heavens sake. So how long does this 'litter' last? The law is wrong in this instance.

If a member has been prosecuted, then any bird society which allows it's name to be used on packaging should at least aim to protect their members and customers buying such wild seed where their name appears on the packaging. The packaging needs to be amended immediately and the RSPB spokesperson should have recognised that in their statement.

The packaging should come with a warning.

How many people take their children to public places to feed the birds? Will these people also be fined for littering a public place?

Thyme said:

Of course not. But what we have here is not some RSPB member or member of the public raiding birds nests, stealing eggs but someone dedicated to birds who happens to feed birds. What is so terrible about that?

So here we have someone who wants to feed birds being fined £2,500 and yet egg thieves getting away with blue murder often with lesser fines. Anyone who feeds birds understands that the the food doesn't last long for heavens sake. So how long does this 'litter' last? The law is wrong in this instance.

If a member has been prosecuted, then any bird society which allows it's name to be used on packaging should at least aim to protect their members and customers buying such wild seed where their name appears on the packaging. The packaging needs to be amended immediately and the RSPB spokesperson should have recognised that in their statement.

The packaging should come with a warning.

How many people take their children to public places to feed the birds? Will these people also be fined for littering a public place?

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Are you 'Saveourbirds' under another psuedenym?
Get your facts right before you comment please. They haven't been fined £2500. They have got a £50 fine.
I feed the birds in my garden where it is legal. There is a bye-law in the town I live in that forbids feeding birds in public places under pain of a £50 fine. So I will abide by that law.
And the last time I looked our public library's car park was a public place.
And yes I'm an RSPB member and not ashamed to be proud of the fact.
8-P

'pay the fine, cease and desist from this miscreant behaviour and stop using you're evil and errant ways to justify another wishy-washy RSPB slagging, however fasionable 'tis in some quarters ...

in any case everyone knows that people who feed birds in public library car parks are either insidious satan worshipping maoists bent on overthrowing the equilibrium of the free state or doggers waiting for a date ...'

it'll end in tears ..

(and skinny Blue Tits)

Osprey_watcher said:

Are you 'Saveourbirds' under another psuedenym?
Get your facts right before you comment please. They haven't been fined £2500. They have got a £50 fine.
I feed the birds in my garden where it is legal. There is a bye-law in the town I live in that forbids feeding birds in public places under pain of a £50 fine. So I will abide by that law.
And the last time I looked our public library's car park was a public place.
And yes I'm an RSPB member and not ashamed to be proud of the fact.
8-P

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Saveourbirds? The answer to your question is no. If the case goes to court then £2,500 or more costs is more or less a penalty for just feeding birds. The total cost is just too much for someone so well meaning.

Perhaps you should do a quick survey and ask all your friends and people you come into contact with and ask them if they are aware that it is illegal to feed birds in a public place. Certainly there are a lot of people near where I live who feed the birds every day in our local public park.

Thank you for confirming your hidden agenda though.

London Birder said:

'pay the fine, cease and desist from this miscreant behaviour and stop using you're evil and errant ways to justify another wishy-washy RSPB slagging, however fasionable 'tis in some quarters ...

in any case everyone knows that people who feed birds in public library car parks are either insidious satan worshipping maoists bent on overthrowing the equilibrium of the free state or doggers waiting for a date ...'

it'll end in tears ..

(and skinny Blue Tits)

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Boy am I glad somebody has brought some sense into this....debate?
:bounce:

London Birder said:

miscreant

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Call yourself a bird lover?

London Birder said:

in any case everyone knows that people who feed birds in public

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Assumptions.

Your comments are in poor taste.

Thyme said:

Thank you for confirming your hidden agenda though.

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What hidden agenda is that?
I don't think I have one.

Thyme said:

Saveourbirds? The answer to your question is no. If the case goes to court then £2,500 or more costs is more or less a penalty for just feeding birds. The total cost is just too much for someone so well meaning.

Perhaps you should do a quick survey and ask all your friends and people you come into contact with and ask them if they are aware that it is illegal to feed birds in a public place. Certainly there are a lot of people near where I live who feed the birds every day in our local public park.

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1. So I'm right the fine is only £50. The other £2450 is for breaking the law yet again by not paying the fine.

2. Most of my friends wouldn't dream of feeding birds so they probably wouldn't be aware it was illegal. But if did it and were told to stop (as Mr and Mrs Cope were warned) on pain of a fine they would stop.