Pigeons in Trafalgar Square

London, Sept. 29 (Reuters): London mayor Ken Livingstone came under fire today over the cost of his efforts to rid Trafalgar Square of pigeons by using hawks.

Livingstone, who famously branded pigeons “rats with wings”, banned feeding the birds on the famous central London square in November 2003 and dispatched two Harris hawks as a deterrent, prompting protests from animal rights campaigners.

Some 2,500 pigeons have disappeared from the square since but, according to Mike Tuffrey, Liberal Democrat spokesman on the London Assembly, an estimated 1,000 diehards have stayed put.

Tuffrey said the scheme had cost taxpayers £226,000 since the mayor first unleashed the hawks.

The bill includes a handler flying the two predators every day and transport costs, according to figures requested by Tuffrey from the mayor.

Adding to that is the cost of removing some 120 dead pigeons killed by the overzealous hawks.

“The pigeons in Trafalgar Square are both a nuisance and a health hazard that most Londoners would be happy to see gone altogether,” said Tuffrey.

“But at a cost of £90 per pigeon removed, serious doubts should be raised about the effectiveness of the scheme as well as its value for money.”

The average pigeon count remained at 1,000 a day, Tuffrey said.

A spokesman for Livingstone acknowledged that the northern part of Trafalgar Square remained affected by a “pigeon nuisance” but said the scheme had been effective in helping to improve its overall appearance.

“The measures mean the square is more hygienic, improving the space for events that are held throughout the year and helping to reduce the cost required to clean listed architecture in the square,” he added.