Northern to broadcast hawk calls over loudpspeaker at Yorkshire railway station to fight pigeon poo

Northern launched its new "counter-offensive" against the birds after they covered Driffield station, in East Yorkshire, with their faeces.

The shrill hawk sounds, which replicate calls from the birds' predators, will now play every 30 minutes, between 10am and 4pm daily, from static loudspeakers.

It is hoped the noises, which are being trialled for one month, can give commuters some respite from the mounting piles of pigeon excrement. The company is also installing "fire" gel on ledges and roof trusses at the station, which appears to the birds as ultraviolet light - and therefore unsuitable to land on.

Northern has also installed plastic owls on the roof of Morpeth Station, in Northumberland, after it was similarly plagued by pigeons.

Kerry Peters, regional director at the rail group, said they hoped to make the stations a "no-go" destination for pigeons.

She said: "We want to make sure our stations are a 'no-go' area for pigeons and make them fly the coop in a way that is humane and harmless. We clean all our stations regularly and we take the impact the mess has on our communities and the environment very seriously."

The trials will remain in place until the end of November and if successful could be rolled out across the Northern network.