A Barrow café has taken action after being spoken to by the council about pigeons entering the premises.
A spokesman for Diggle’s said pigeons were becoming an ‘ever-increasing problem’ in Dalton Road.
He said posters had been put up at the café reminding customers not to feed the birds and to keep the eatery’s doors closed at all times.
It follows a complaint from Barrow resident Mike Ashburner, who saw a pigeon being fed by a customer when he visited Diggle’s last week. “I was disgusted,” said Mr Ashburner.
“On a table next to me, he was throwing bits of pasty on the floor for the pigeon. It’s a public health hazard.
“A member of staff that brought me my breakfast then said to the person feeding the pigeon: ‘Have you got a friend?’ I thought it was totally moronic.”
Mr Ashburner said he had also seen pigeons inside Diggle’s on previous visits.
He contacted the council to complain and received an email response from environmental health officer Sarah Mason.
Ms Mason said she had paid a visit to Diggle’s and been told by the manager that ‘there is one pigeon that repeatedly tries to get into the café’ if the door was left open.
Ms Mason said she had been told that the bird was encouraged by customers feeding it.
“She [the manager] is aware that this is unacceptable in a food business for hygiene reasons,” read the email.
“Staff are going to be more vigilant and, no matter how busy they are at the time, shoo any birds out of the business and tell customers not to feed or encourage them.
“They will also ask customers to close the door behind them or close it themselves.”
Ms Mason said she would follow the issue up and ‘take further action’ if it persisted.
Mr Ashburner said he had contacted Diggle’s about the problem but not received a response.
“I was hoping they might refund the £6.25 I paid for my all-day breakfast, but nothing so far,” he said.
The Diggle’s spokesman said pigeons that lingered outside the café were shooed away by staff before they could enter and that doors were kept closed ‘wherever possible’.
“On this occasion, one has unfortunately entered at the encouragement of a customer seated by the door whilst it was briefly open, who has attempted to feed it,” said the spokesman.
“Our staff have a great relationship with our customers and, on seeing the pigeon being fed, a member of staff made a joke about this whilst ushering the pigeon out of the shop.”
The spokesman hoped the incident being highlighted would act as a ‘catalyst for action’ on the ‘growing pigeon problem’ in Dalton Road.
Councillor Tony Callister, lead member for Public Protection Services at Barrow Council, said: “Barrow Borough Council Public Protection Services have received a complaint about pigeons within the premises and have visited and given advice to the business operator on how to prevent their access.”
