CONCERNS have been raised after dead pigeons were spotted piled up in the window of a derelict property.

An investigation has been launched after a member of the public reported seeing several pigeons in the upstairs window of a house in the Harrowgate Hill area of Darlington.

The person who made the grisly find is now calling on the authorities to act to ensure a similar situation does not arise again.

He said he spotted the dead birds in a row of “scruffy and run down old terraced buildings” at the rear of the Harrowgate Hill Lodge.

The man, who is from the local area, described his horror at spotting the poor pigeons, saying: “It would appear that over the last few days when there has been high temperatures, a number of pigeons have become trapped in one of the upstairs rooms of the building.

“Having become trapped, it would appear that they tried but failed to escape through a window that faces onto Burtree Lane.

“Either due to starvation, dehydration or perhaps stress – maybe all three – it looks like they possibly died one by one and fell into the gap between the window and a board partially covering the window.

“Some people consider feral pigeons to be pests or vermin but even so, can you imagine the slow lingering death these poor animals would have endured?”

David Jones from the Pigeon Control Resource Centre called for investigations to be carried out to determine how the pigeons had met their end.

He said the property owner was ultimately responsible for ensuring pigeons, rats or other vermin could not access the house, adding: “If pigeons get in somewhere, it is usually easy for them to get out again.

“To have a pile of dead pigeons is slightly concerning and I’d be asking how they died, whether someone had trapped them in there or killed them.

“It is unusual and needs investigating.”

Mr Jones added: “To keep pigeons out of empty properties, you need to make sure there’s no access point – if there’s a broken window, block it up, if there’s a roof tile missing, replace it.”

A spokeswoman for Darlington Borough Council said that the authority had received a report over the weekend relating to the situation and would be investigating.

She said that an Environmental Health officer was preparing to visit the property in question to assess the problem and urged members of the public to report any similar issues to the council on 01325 405111.

Pigeons are known to roost and nest on structures that provide shelter from the elements, with empty buildings, loft spaces and ledges popular among birds that can easily gain access.

Experts recommend protecting empty properties from pigeon infestation by installing control measures including bird proofing, netting, wire deterrent or sonic bird solutions.

To ensure birds cannot access properties, it is recommended that all closures bigger than 20mm in diameter are closed.