A parish council has removed two geese that were living by the village pond, despite a campaign to keep them.
As YorkMix reported in September, the birds in Stillington, found a few miles north of York, were the subject of a petition to save them, which got 2,245 signatures.
However the council has revealed that it has removed them for “safety reasons” – and has been the subject of “legal threats”.
In a letter sent to villagers by Stillington Parish Council today (Thursday), clerk Nigel Knapton said the geese needed to go because they stray onto the road and could cause an accident.
“The Parish Council are responsible for the pond and surrounding area, and they would be liable if there was an accident as these geese are domestic birds, not wild birds,” he wrote.
The decision was taken at a council meeting in July and he said there had been “legal threats both criminal and civil”.
“Steps were then taken to formally write to the owners asking them to either move the geese to a new home or the Parish Council would find them a safer environment,” the letter continues.
“No such undertaking to remove the geese was received from the owners and the Council has therefore moved the geese to a safe environment.
“If any other domestic birds are put on the pond they will be immediately removed.”
Molly Dickman owns one of the birds and told YorkMix Radio: “It’s just a bit shocking, really. I think it’s a disgrace and I think it’s bad that they’ve moved them without letting anyone know. They actually got solicitors involved.
“So many people in the village want them to stay. Seems pointless having a pond there doesn’t it with nothing on
“There’s fencing all the way around. They used to escape when they had the pond was done up, the fence wasn’t put back together properly, so one of them was getting out quite a bit but since the fence has been mended they haven’t actually got back out.
“They won’t tell us anything about where they are. It’s been reported to the police. It shouldn’t have really had to come to this.”
The petition, launched by Judith Hassan, said: “We have learned that the parish council has decided to remove the geese without consulting.
“The white goose has lived here peacefully for at least two years, sharing the pond with both duck families and moorhens.
“It was a sad time when she initially lost her gander but she is quite happily settled with a new man, the Chinese goose, and they are a bonded pair.
“They recently laid a clutch of eggs but these were unexpectedly removed. Please don’t let our geese be removed too.
“We respectfully ask our parish councillors to rethink their decision and enter into meaningful discussions with the villagers on the future of the Stillington geese.”
One Stillington resident told YorkMix: “The majority of the village want to keep the geese, and the parish council quietly made the decision to remove the geese without consultation.”
