The couple who face legal threat from council for feeding 'noisy' garden birds

The morsels are always gratefully received by the sparrows and assortment of birds, who return with their pickings to nests in the surrounding trees.

But to their amazement the elderly couple have been ordered by council officials to stop feeding wildlife and threatened with legal action if they fail to obey.

Feeding time: Mick and June Dunny say they will continue to feed birds in their back garden after they received a letter from Berwick-upon-Tweed council telling them to stop

Far from an attempt to live in harmony with nature, the customary ritual of helping birds in their daily search for food has been branded a dangerous practice that must be stopped.

After receiving a complaint from a neighbour, environmental health officers wrote a letter to the Dunnys informing them they were causing a noise nuisance and attracting dirt and possibly disease to their village.

The letter, from Berwick Upon Tweed council, said: 'Birds cause some considerable problem in forms of noise and dirt.

Not only do their droppings damage and contaminate property, the birds also carry various diseases such as salmonella.

'Noise and dirt': The couple were told feeding birds caused 'noise and dirt' problems

'If they are encouraged into an area and build nests, these nests can cause problems, such as blocking chimneys, flues and gutters. Food put out for the birds will also attract rats and vermin.

'If we establish that a nuisance or pest problem does exist, we may have to consider further action.'

Mr Dunny, 69, a retired foreman and joiner, has branded the demand as 'completely crazy' and vowed to continue putting food out for his feathered friends.

He and his wife live in the Northumberland village of Belford, where garden bird tables are a common sight.

He said: 'Let them put me in jail. . . it's just crazy. What do they mean by  noise?

'I'd hardly describe the dawn chorus as noise. And we've never once seen a rat or mouse in the garden.

'My wife was very angry but I just thought it was  a joke at first, a wind-up.

'Every day I put out four biscuits for the birds and it's normally house sparrows who come and take them.

'We are surrounded by huge trees and the area is swarming with bird life. We are a country village and more than 90 per cent of the people here feed birds.

'I'm just going to carry on as I am . . . it's my human right to feed the birds, after all.'

A council spokeswoman said: 'We are unable to discuss individual cases but if we receive a complaint about any matter which could cause an environmental health issue it is our responsibility to follow it up.

'Feeding the birds can sometimes cause problems if, for example, inappropriate foodstuffs are put out which can cause fly infestations or even rats.' 

But the couple have been backed by the RSPB.

A spokesman said: 'Feeding birds is a popular activity. Over half of adults in the UK feed birds in their garden.

'Providing birds with supplementary food brings them closer so that we can marvel at their exciting behaviour and wonderful colours.

'It also helps the birds by overcoming periods of natural food shortage, helping them survive periods of severe winter weather.

'However, it is important that we are not attracting vermin by putting out too much food at one time.'