Norfolk County Council replacing mesh under Anglia Square

And after months of campaigning Peck Savers, the group fighting to protect the birds, have won a major victory.

Norfolk County Council agreed to take down meshing under the Anglia Square flyover, which the campaigners say is killing the pigeons.

But in a blow to their hard-won victory, County Hall announced that new meshing will be put up, saying it will fix the holes it claims is the reason the birds are dying.

Now the group has launched a fresh battle for the meshing to be taken down for good. 

Haychley Webb, who is part of Peck Savers, said: "With multiple birds dying an incredibly slow, painful death, I'd hope the council would take down this netting finally altogether.

The mesh netting is under the Anglia Square flyover (Image: Newsquest)

"However I’ve been told there are plans to replace the mesh - trapping and killing more birds and nests.

"When I spoke to the council, they said the reason was safety for workers but I've never seen anyone other than the odd rough sleeper there.

"We have to stop this slaughter because I feel this has gone too far.

"I appreciate there is a lot of stigma still around pigeons but they're wonderful, affectionate, birds who feel pain and suffering just as much as any other animal.

Haychley Webb, who is part of the pigeon rescue group, Peck Savers (Image: Haychley Webb)

"If it was a cat or a rabbit lying dead strung up or about to be killed en masse folk would be up in arms about it - a pigeon dying a slow death matters just as much."

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Pigeons are known to carry multiple diseases such as E. coli or salmonella.

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Unlike most other birds pigeons nest in their own faeces which attracts mites and increases the transmittance of other diseases.

Pigeons have been seen trapped and dead in the mesh netting (Image: Haychley Webb)

A Norfolk County Council spokeswoman said: "We received a report last week of birds becoming trapped at the flyover. 

"A site visit was carried out and found the mesh on the flyover, which is meant to stop birds from accessing the inside of the structure, has become damaged.

"We've arranged for a specialist contractor to fix the holes as a temporary measure and then replace all the mesh as soon as possible to prevent birds from getting trapped in the future."