11 hours ago
Peacocks terrorising village renowned for its Spitfire pilots history
Residents of a village famous for its Spitfire pilot training history have claimed that peacocks are attacking their cars.
Hibaldstow, in North Lincolnshire, has found itself menaced by nearly 30 peacocks, with cars being attacked after some birds attempted to fight their reflection in the paint or polished bumpers.
Gardens and graves have been damaged, while residents have complained that the birds make loud noises at anti-social times.
RAF Hibaldstow, where many Second World War Spitfire pilots trained, closed in 1947 but the long runways are intact and the airfield is used by police as a skidpan, model plane enthusiasts and a skydiving business.
Last June, the North Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre reopened there after a refurbishment, where visitors can explore the airfield command bunker, see military vehicles up close and join guided tours.
The peacocks have been a part of village life since the 1960s, but now some residents are concerned about the increasing population.
Les Gladwell, 75, a former shopkeeper in the village, recently opened his curtains and counted 18 peacocks in his garden.
He said: 'They have absolutely ruined the garden, eating everything in sight, and they also attack my car.
'Because it's dark-coloured, the male birds see their own reflections in it and attack themselves. The pecking and scratching has caused a lot of damage.
'I often look out and see them surrounding the car with a couple sitting on top of it. I have to bang on the window with my shoes to scare them off.
'They are beautiful birds, and it's nice to see them strutting around the village for some, but it's become too much.'
Sarah Filby said she kept a close eye on her five-year-old son when he went into the garden to play football.
She said: 'When he was two, he found himself cornered by a peahen with chicks. They become very territorial and can be aggressive, so it was really worrying to see him trapped by them.
'I went out and managed to steer them away from him, and now he's a little bigger he's learning how to handle them himself.
'He goes out with his arms held wide and will usually manage to shoo them away, but I have to keep an eye on him and make sure he's safe.
'The numbers seem to have been growing year on year, and there's no doubt they can be a problem.
'They block the main road and drivers don't know what to do. They beep their horns at them, which just causes the peacocks to stand their ground and squawk back at the cars.
'We've had them wander into the house before, which was interesting. It's not easy to persuade a peacock they need to leave.
'I've spoken to environmental health about them, but they say they're wild birds, just like pigeons. I had to point out that they are definitely not just like pigeons.'
David Stothard, a parish councillor, said could see the problems but did not think Hibaldstow would ever get rid of the birds.
He said: 'There was a meeting in the village hall to discuss the issue, with one lady suggesting we needed to reduce the numbers, and it was attended by about 60 people.
'The conclusion was that the peacocks would be staying but she was welcome to move on if she wanted to.'
