SHOPKEEPERS are demanding a pigeon cull on the streets of Bournemouth.

They say the birds are causing a "horrendous" mess and putting off customers.

And they say they pay their business rates, so Bournemouth council should do the deadly deed.

"We are at the end of our tether. There's a huge pigeon problem here," said Jason Babbe, 28, owner of Sharp Edge Hair Studio, one of several premises affected in a stretch of St Catherine's Road in Southbourne.

"I have had customers walk out the shop and instantly get splattered by a bird.

"I had my carpet resurfaced a couple of months ago and already it's almost ruined because people tread it in. The roofs and rafters above the shops are full of masses and masses of pigeons.

"People are slipping on the pavements.

"And the council are prepared to do nothing about it. They have done it in Boscombe and Westbourne. Why can't they do it here?

"It's horrendous, it's affecting trade. It's a health hazard and an eyesore. Cleaning it won't solve the problem. We want them to cull the pigeons."

He said there were more than 20 nests in the roofs and rafters above eight shops on the road.

Chris Babbidge, 40, owner of St Catherine's newsagents next-door, said: "The general public complain about the disgusting state of the pavement.

"It's a massive problem. There's faeces all over the place."

Bournemouth council said it had no legal obligation to get rid of pigeons on private land.

Nic Wedges, from Bournemouth council's technical service's department, said: "In this case we are advising the gentlemen they will have to approach various pest control companies which can be found in the phonebook to solve the problem.

"The council does provide a service for things like rats and mice as they pose a specific public health issue but a charge would still be made for the call-out and subsequent treatment."

Trained marksman use airguns to shoot pigeons, though the birds can also be trapped then humanely despatched - but culling can only be used after all other options have been explored.

And Ashley Platen-Mills, sales and systems manager for pest control specialists of Prokill, of Wharfdale Road, Bournemouth, said the company would not cull in the area because it was too public.

He said he has visited the shops before and the only solution was to make them pigeon-proof.