Dozens of dead pigeons found dumped in town centre

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Dozens of dead pigeons, believed to have been seriously injured by an airgun, have been found dumped in a crate in a Cotswold town.

The RSPCA said 25 deceased birds had been found in the box left next to a public bin on West Street in Chipping Norton at 09:20 BST on 1 April.

Prisca Giddens, who is leading the RSPCA's investigation into the incident, said the birds had "suffered prolonged and painful deaths".

She explained that all of the pigeons had been found with "injuries consistent with being shot by an airgun", with many having wounds from the pellets including broken wings".

She said "a number" of the birds had suffered an "obvious neck break, suggesting they weren't killed instantly by the pellets, but were later killed manually".

The location in which the birds were found in Chipping Norton town centre "close to a school".

The RSPCA has previously called for tighter controls on air weapons after receiving nearly 1,000 calls each year about them being used to target animals.

It is asking for stricter licensing, mandatory safety training and better education on current laws to prevent deliberate animal cruelty.

"Sadly, air weapon attacks are not rare and the injuries caused can be horrific and often fatal," Giddens said.

Under current law, anyone caught using an air gun to injure an animal could face up to five years in prison and an unlimited fine.

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