Police hunting for yobs who have been beheading PIGEONS

Police are hunting cruel yobs who have been beheading PIGEONS in a series of sickening attacks at a park.

Shocked families with children have been discovering the headless birds at Central Forest Park, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs., over the past three weeks.

During the first attack on May 1 two pigeons were skinned and gutted by thugs who then smeared blood over PICNIC BENCHES.

One week later on May 6 ice-cream kiosk owner Dave Shallcross, 43, arrived for work to find two further decapitated birds hanging from his shop by a piece of string.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council bosses have now been forced to spend #5,300 on four security cameras in a bid to deter future attacks.

Independent councillor Paul Breeze, said yesterday (Wed): “This is such a horrible and barbaric thing to happen.

“It really is sickening.

“The park already has CCTV but the range does not go far enough.

“We are now getting more cameras to act as a deterrent.

“Lots of families use the park so hopefully, knowing there are more cameras, they will feel a bit safer.”

Store holder Mr Shallcross added: “It’s disgusting. The pigeons were strung up for somebody else to clean up the next day.

“I just hope the new cameras will play a part in stopping this kind of thing happening again.”

Brian Martins, 42, who regularly walks his dogs through the park, said: “I can’t understand what sort of person would be sick enough to do this.

“I know pigeons aren’t exactly the cleanest and prettiest birds in the world, but they don’t deserve to be butchered like that.”

Staffordshire Police have launched an appeal for witnesses.

A spokesman said: “We take all incidents of wildlife crime seriously.

“It is illegal to harm or kill all birds, including pigeons and it is an offence to trap or kill wild birds without authority or a licence.”

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101.