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Telegraph

Pigeon delays zebra crossing opening by more than a month

A pigeon has delayed the opening of a zebra crossing for more than a month. Bath and North East Somerset council completed construction of the crossing on Monksdale Road in the Moorlands area of the city in June, but no pedestrians were permitted to cross until a nesting pigeon left. The Liberal Democrat-run council said the bird had prevented branches being trimmed, which were obscuring the beacon light on the crossing. Wild birds, their eggs and nests are protected by law, so the council monitored the pigeon to ensure it had left the tree before resuming the works. Now that the pigeon has flown off, the council have cut back the tree and the crossing has been opened. Protecting wildlife Cllr Lucy Hodge, a cabinet member for sustainable transport delivery, apologised for the inconvenience caused but reminded the public that wildlife must be protected. She said: 'We actively work to protect wildlife and apologise that the crossing could not be opened as planned.' This scheme is part of the council's ongoing programme of active travel improvements in the area. Restrictions on interfering with birds and their nests have also hamstrung the council's response to problems with seagulls in the city centre. The council is only able to remove eggs and nests in cases where there is evidence of serious impact on someone's health or safety.