Canada geese in Gloucestershire set to be culled as bird poo causes issues Lydney Lake

• Watch Ken Goodwin's report

A number of wild birds are set to be killed after complaints about bird poo causing a mess on paths and polluting a lake in the Forest of Dean.

Canada geese, which have become a familiar sight at Lydney Lake in Gloucestershire, are set to be culled.

It comes after Lydney Town Council - which is the trustee of the recreation ground and lake - voted to apply for a licence to 'thin out' the population of birds.

The council's chairman says it has received many complaints of the mess the birds make, which has even meant some games being cancelled on adjoining sports pitches because of health fears. The geese are also said to pollute the lake with their droppings. 

Cllr Richard Kemsley said he appreciates there are those who do not support a cull, even though not all of the birds will be removed.

"I totally understand people not liking it," he said. "I know it’s a habitat which Canadian geese like and we produce that habitat. But at the moment we can’t manage them because the numbers are far too great."

There have been objections from some councillors, including Steve Stockham, who says the birds ought to be left alone.

"We need to learn to live with them," he told ITV News West Country. "There are many, many species, millions of species, as well as human beings on Earth, they’ve been here a lot longer than we have."

One mum said she thinks the cull is "terrible" saying the birds are "beautiful".

"We love to come down here and feed them," she said.

But another passerby said there is bird poo "everywhere", adding: "It's all over the place, all over the football pitch stopping the game is being played, there’s just too many here."

It's estimated there are 62,000 breeding pairs of Canada geese in the UK.

It is legal to cull them but this can only be done after obtaining a licence from the department of environment food and rural affairs.