Darlington council enlists Frankie the hawk to 'disperse' anti-social pigeons from town centre

A hawk has been enlisted by a North East council to help "disperse" anti-social pigeons which are plaguing a town centre.

Frankie, a 19-year-old Harris hawk, is being flown around Darlington town centre every few days to clamp down on the congregating pests.

Darlington Borough Council teamed up with falconer Tori Goodall, from Walworth Birds of Prey, in an effort to scare the birds away.

And the authority, which is urging the public not to feed the pigeons, has already reported a fall in numbers.

Councillor Jonathan Dulston, leader of the council, said: “This is a non-lethal way to encourage the pigeons to disperse.

“We’re doing our bit, but we need you to play your part too. Please help keep our town centre clean and don’t feed the pigeons.

“Not only is it harmful to the birds, but it’s also unhygienic – think pigeon droppings and rats!

"It’s also classed as littering and you could be fined £150.”

Falconer Ms Goodall has had Frankie the female hawk all her life and described her as her "pride and joy".

She said: "We come down a couple of times a week. We fly up and down the High Row and the idea is that the pigeons will see her, and basically they see her as a predator.

"They disperse, they move on."

The falconer added that Frankie was cut out for the job.

"She's very well behaved and doesn't mind flying when it's very busy," she added. "She's become a bit of a star early morning."

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