The second-largest train operator in England is asking the public for help with an increasing number of pigeons at stations.

Northern is asking its passengers not to feed the birds while waiting for their train and to ensure that no leftover food is discarded on the platforms.

This has led to the birds also taking up residence and now nesting at stations, knowing that a constant food supply is guaranteed nearby, either by being fed to them or being left behind by passengers.

Earlier this year Network Rail began a battle with various forms of wildlife trespassing on the UK rail Network, while pigeons are much smaller and cause less of a problem their harmful droppings can lead to acidic damage to station buildings and assets.

Northern has begun tackling the problem. The installation of netting and spikes has been effective, though it’s a costly and time-consuming process.

Noises of various birds of prey have been played at Driffield station in East Yorkshire, in addition to the roof being painted with ‘fire gel’ to deter the birds and give it an ultra violet appearance, while Morpeth station in Northumberland saw the installation of fake owls.

Though despite all these measures the pigeons keep returning to both stations and continue to build nests.

The problem remains ongoing with most pigeons relocating to other parts of the station.

If anyone has any ideas on how to help Northern keep the number of pigeons at stations down they can do so via its social media platforms.

“We know the vast majority of our customers do not want to be bothered by pigeons at our stations, so we have looked into several humane ways of keeping these stubborn birds away.

We’re urging customers to help us deal with this pest problem by making sure they don’t feed any of the pigeons or leave food lying around.”

Matt Rice, Northern’s Chief Operating Officer