It cakes the road and falls on passing drivers - pigeon poo is on the agenda again.

The road under Worcester Park railway bridge is covered in the stuff, and the only way to get rid of it is for Kingston Council and Network Rail to join forces.

Fortunately for pedestrians, the pavements are clear thanks to netting on the bridge.

Council leader and Old Malden ward councillor Kevin Davis said: "We did write to Network Rail about that bridge because we were concerned there was a lot of graffiti on it was well.

"I will write to them again. They had done the job properly at Surbiton - it kept away the birds.

"I suppose you could try shotguns."

A National Rail spokeswoman said: "Mesh netting is in place under sections of the bridge at Worcester Park.

"If the local authority believes that this provision needs to be extended over the highway, we are happy to discuss this with them."

The graffiti on the bridge was scrubbed away on Wednesday, she added.

A quarter of a century ago, the avian defecation situation became so bad that court action loomed for British Rail.

The company had pledged more than a year earlier to clean up its act at Lower Ham Road and Richmond Road, but did nothing.

Eventually workers strung netting under the bridges.

In 2004 the Comet reported that in New Malden, birds had become trapped in wire mesh protecting the bridge over Kingston road - and their decaying remains were falling on motorists and cyclists below.

One concerned mum said: "When my daughter cycled underneath the bridge two weeks ago, bits of pigeon were literally dropping down on top of her.

"It is quite a horrendous sight."

An RSPCA spokeswoman said: "We do have concerns about netting. If it's not properly maintained it can cause an awful lot of welfare issues.

"We get hundreds of calls a year concerning birds getting trapped.

"They starve to death."

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