IT has been a slimy, unpleasant problem for more than 15 years – but now a Sherwood councillor has pledged to tackle the scourge of pigeon droppings from Sandhurst Road railway bridge once and for all.

For several years councillors and residents have lobbied Network Rail, which owns the bridge, to clean it up and move the pigeons which roost there but to no avail.

Recently elected councillor Bob Backhouse, who lives round the corner from the bridge, said it was high time the disgusting mess was tackled.

But Mr Backhouse was quick to point out he was "not declaring war on pigeons".

"This is one of those issues which sounds trivial but when you go out knocking on doors people want it sorted," said Mr Backhouse.

"Just the other day I heard from a woman who was pushing a double buggy and one of the pigeons dumped on her.

"It's happened to me when I was walking into town and I had to turn round and go home to wash my hair."

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council employs a contractor to spray the area around the bridge with antiseptic on a regular basis.

"I've been assured by the borough council there's a file about four inches thick on it," said Mr Backhouse. "The council has really tried but has come up against a brick wall with Network Rail.

"I understand they have much more important things to sort out but they seem to have quite a cavalier attitude."

Mr Backhouse is pushing for the railway authority to rehouse the animals and put up netting after they had bred to stop them returning.

"It's one of those things that if we get it done it will make a lot of folk happy," he added.

Network Rail refused to comment.

A novel way to deal with pigeons – see page 12