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Cockerel threatened with 'death penalty' ASBO over early morning crowing
Owner Sue Farthing fears her popular cockerel Colonel could face the death penalty after it was threatened with an ASBO due to his early morning crowing
A noisy cockerel called Colonel has been threatened with an ASBO because of his early morning crowing. Owner Sue Farthing was stunned to be served with a notice by her local council warning she will face enforcement action if she cannot keep him quiet.
She fears the bird could face the death penalty. The action has sparked outrage in the hamlet where Sue and Colonel live — with over 600 people signing a ‘save the cockerel’ petition.
It says the sounds of farm animals are ‘an accepted and cherished part of daily life’ in the countryside and the cock should be allowed to crow if he wants. But town hall chiefs insist Colonel is a nuisance and say that they have received a complaint from one weary neighbour moaning it is having an adverse effect on their life.
Sue, from Aldeby, Norfolk, said: “It's ridiculous. He could be slapped with an ASBO, a dawn curfew, and probably community service picking up his own feathers — because nothing says ‘urgent public safety’ like one cocky bird who greets the daily sunrise.
“Aldeby is a very small rural hamlet where we experience a multitude of countryside sounds — Muntjacks barking, crows crowing, seagulls squawking, owls hooting and cows mooing. But due to one singular complaint the council has threatened me with an ASBO and possible extermination of Colonel.
"This cannot be allowed to go ahead. It sets a worrying precedent for the future of the countryside and is a huge waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Multimedia artist Sue, 58, began keeping chickens after rescuing one that wandered into her front garden 18 months ago. Since then she has taken in several more unaware that one was a cockerel until he started crowing at four-months-old.
Six months ago she got a letter from the council after one of her neighbours complained the noise from the bird was affecting their mental health. She has been ordered to keep the Colonel quiet after 8am.
But it is natural for a cock to crow at sunrise — which can be 4.30am. The petition supporting the bird calls on the council to halt its ‘disproportionate investigation and enforcement action’ regarding the ‘infrequent crowing from a single cockerel’.
It says the ‘natural sounds are an accepted and cherished part of daily life’ in the hamlet and a cock’s crows are part of the ‘everyday soundscape’ and ‘cannot reasonably be classified as a statutory nuisance’. Petitioners say the council should instead focus its resources on repairing potholes, collecting bins and preventing flooding.
Neighbour Heather Manthorpe, 86, said the Colonel made ‘noises of the countryside’. “You hear the deer at night, you hear the foxes — they are all part of it. You can't live in complete silence. The only place that's silent is the cemetery,” she added.
According to the council, the notice is designed to stop ongoing environmental anti-social behaviour which has a "harmful, persistent and detrimental effect" on people in the area. South Norfolk Council said it had a legal duty to investigate complaints from all sources - including cockerels.
“We engaged early with the owner of the cockerel and gave advice about how to reduce the impact of noise from crowing on surrounding neighbours,” it said. Unfortunately further complaints were received and evidence provided which demonstrates that crowing coinciding with daybreak can be heard very clearly within the complainant's home.
“We asked the owner to keep the cockerel in a coop in the dark until after 8am and we understand she is now doing that." The council said at no point has any threat been made against Colonel's life.
Daily Star Sunday
Owner Sue Farthing fears her popular cockerel Colonel could face the death penalty after it was threatened with an ASBO due to his early morning crowing
A noisy cockerel called Colonel has been threatened with an ASBO because of his early morning crowing. Owner Sue Farthing was stunned to be served with a notice by her local council warning she will face enforcement action if she cannot keep him quiet.
She fears the bird could face the death penalty. The action has sparked outrage in the hamlet where Sue and Colonel live — with over 600 people signing a ‘save the cockerel’ petition.
It says the sounds of farm animals are ‘an accepted and cherished part of daily life’ in the countryside and the cock should be allowed to crow if he wants. But town hall chiefs insist Colonel is a nuisance and say that they have received a complaint from one weary neighbour moaning it is having an adverse effect on their life.
Sue, from Aldeby, Norfolk, said: “It's ridiculous. He could be slapped with an ASBO, a dawn curfew, and probably community service picking up his own feathers — because nothing says ‘urgent public safety’ like one cocky bird who greets the daily sunrise.
“Aldeby is a very small rural hamlet where we experience a multitude of countryside sounds — Muntjacks barking, crows crowing, seagulls squawking, owls hooting and cows mooing. But due to one singular complaint the council has threatened me with an ASBO and possible extermination of Colonel.
"This cannot be allowed to go ahead. It sets a worrying precedent for the future of the countryside and is a huge waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Multimedia artist Sue, 58, began keeping chickens after rescuing one that wandered into her front garden 18 months ago. Since then she has taken in several more unaware that one was a cockerel until he started crowing at four-months-old.
Six months ago she got a letter from the council after one of her neighbours complained the noise from the bird was affecting their mental health. She has been ordered to keep the Colonel quiet after 8am.
But it is natural for a cock to crow at sunrise — which can be 4.30am. The petition supporting the bird calls on the council to halt its ‘disproportionate investigation and enforcement action’ regarding the ‘infrequent crowing from a single cockerel’.
It says the ‘natural sounds are an accepted and cherished part of daily life’ in the hamlet and a cock’s crows are part of the ‘everyday soundscape’ and ‘cannot reasonably be classified as a statutory nuisance’. Petitioners say the council should instead focus its resources on repairing potholes, collecting bins and preventing flooding.
Neighbour Heather Manthorpe, 86, said the Colonel made ‘noises of the countryside’. “You hear the deer at night, you hear the foxes — they are all part of it. You can't live in complete silence. The only place that's silent is the cemetery,” she added.
According to the council, the notice is designed to stop ongoing environmental anti-social behaviour which has a "harmful, persistent and detrimental effect" on people in the area. South Norfolk Council said it had a legal duty to investigate complaints from all sources - including cockerels.
“We engaged early with the owner of the cockerel and gave advice about how to reduce the impact of noise from crowing on surrounding neighbours,” it said. Unfortunately further complaints were received and evidence provided which demonstrates that crowing coinciding with daybreak can be heard very clearly within the complainant's home.
“We asked the owner to keep the cockerel in a coop in the dark until after 8am and we understand she is now doing that." The council said at no point has any threat been made against Colonel's life.
Daily Star Sunday