This was a classic neighbour dispute which ended up in court but was withdrawn at the last minute. Reading between the lines the complainant was a serial complainer. We nicknamed him as the Bird Man Of Penrith. So after the no show at court I decided to visit the two adversaries to find out what was at the heart of their disagreement. As you can imagine it did rumble on and on and even ended up on one of those neighbours from Hell type TV shows. I do love the expression anti-social avian behaviour…

FEATHERS have been flying between Penrith neighbours after one took exception to the noise created by a nearby menagerie of parrots, pheasants, hens and cockerels.

Tim Wilson, aged 56, who lives in Tynefield Drive, had threatened legal action over what he claimed to be anti-social avian behaviour and the matter was due to be heard at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

He had complained about the cockerels crowing, parrots squawking and the birds roaming freely but withdrew the case at the eleventh hour.

Speaking to the Herald after he was due to appear in court to face the charges, Brian Boyes, the birds’ owner, who also lives in Tynefield Drive, said he had been prepared to fight the case all the way.

The 68-year-old former farm worker and machine operator added: “If it cost me £1000 I was determined to get to the bottom of this.”

He said the birds were popular with most of his neighbours and many, including residents of the nearby Greengarth residential home, often fed them.

Mr Boyes has around 15 parrots, five pheasants, 38 hens and a number of budgies living with him at his three-bedroomed semi-detached home. He said he had been keeping the birds for the past 19 years and the objections had only been raised over the past 18 months.

“They just go wherever they want,” he said. “They go down the front of Greengarth in the morning and there is a lady down there whose son fetches gingerbread every day to feed the hens. People love them.”

He said that his parrots spoke to him every day. “When I come down in the morning and one shouts ‘good morning, grand-dad’, it’s great,” he added.

Mr. Boyes said he could not understand why the charges had been brought against him and added: “I like them, that’s it, it’s a hobby and something to do — looking after them. They are not doing any harm to anybody.”

The birds have even attracted national attention, with a coach party from Hamilton, Scotland, making a detour on its way back from Blackpool so passengers could feed them.

Mr. Boyes said: “All over the country people are coming to see them because they love them running around and running free.”

Mr. Wilson he said he was going to continue his fight and had started a petition, which had already attracted 27 signatures from residents. He added that he had initially contacted Eden Council’s environmental health department.

“When I looked into this it’d be very difficult to pursue the case,” he said.

“Since then I have got in touch with the Neighbours from Hell TV program and they took some details.”

He said he had recorded one of the cockerels crowing a total of 72 times in the space of just 12 minutes. He added: “Sometimes it’s 6.50am.”

However, other neighbours said they had no objections to the birds being there.

Terry Poole, aged 76, said he had lived in Tynefield Drive for 15 years and added: “I think they are doing no harm. It’s something for people to see and watch. It’s something different.

“I spend a lot of my time sitting here and I see them most days. I can’t see one single thing they are doing any harm to.”

John Bainbridge, a 78-year-old from Greengarth, said: “They roam about all over, don’t they? He’s got a lot of bantams as well, hasn’t he? They are all right.”

From The Cumberland & Westmorland Herald on Saturday, April 18, 2015.