AssetID: 55857549
Headline: Anti-social parrot Luna faces eviction for intimidating neighbours
Caption: WORDS BYLINE: Andrea Scholes A parrot is facing eviction after being branded aggressive and anti-social by neighbours. Luna is hugely popular with local children but has made few other friends in her street in Deeping St James, Lincolnshire. The council has received complaints about her flying freely in a communal garden, making too much noise and intimidating her neighbours. Her owners have been issued with a formal warning and told that failure to keep the bird in check could result in her being evicted. Jim Jamieson said: “Luna can be noisy but she’s no problem to anyone. The neighbours say she is aggressive but she has never hurt anyone. “Luna has pair-bonded with me. If I got for a shower, she comes with me. If I go to the toilet, she comes with me. Parrots very rarely bond like this with a human but she’s so affectionate. “We were fuming when the letter arrived from the council. If they make me get rid of her, it’s like giving her a death sentence. The stress of being separated would kill her.” Seven-year-old Luna is a double yellow headed Amazon parrot who the couple took under their wing two years ago. Until recently there had been no complaints, but the problems started a few weeks ago when Luna was spooked by a hawk flying overhead. She flew to take cover but landed on a neighbour’s shoulder. The woman wasn’t injured but since then Jim and his partner, Donna Tibbett, have been subject to abuse from neighbours. A formal warning has now been issued by South Kesteven District Council, stating the couple have breached their tenancy agreement. It points to a clause which says owners should ensure their pets don’t cause damage to the buildings or affect the wellbeing of other people. The council says Luna mustn’t be kept in her outdoor cage in the communal garden, and that all necessary steps should be taken to prevent noise problems and aggression towards neighbours. It adds: “The council has a responsibility to ensure that communal areas remain safe and that all tenants can enjoy their homes without nuisance or fear.” Jim, a former pub landlord and carer to Donna, has stopped Luna from flying freely around the communal garden but says he will “fight to the end” for her to be allowed in her outdoor cage, where she would usually spend up to three hours a day. He said: “It’s so depressing to think she can’t be outside. The children love seeing her when they walk past on their way to school. Luna will say hello to them and I’ll take time to educate them about parrots. “We try to put her out when the children are going past, then she goes to bed between 8am and 8pm, so she’s not outside during anti-social hours. “What do they want me to do, tape her beak shut? It’s just petty.” Jim and Luna are well known around Deeping, largely due to the bird being carried around in a rucksack. The pair often visit Tesco to stock up on Luna’s favourite treat - pistachios - and she also had a trip to Bridge Barbershop this week where she happily sat on barber George Martin’s shoulder as he worked. The pair also spend a lot of time at John Eve Field where Luna can fly freely. Jim, 56, added: “Luna loves everyone and most people in Deeping know who she is.” Should the council receive more complaints about Luna, she could be evicted and further tenancy enforcement action could be taken against her owners. A SKDC spokesman said: “South Kesteven District Council recognises the comfort that comes from people having pets around the house, and as such provides a series of guidelines to allow them to live in council properties.” It said it was requesting the tenant move the outside cages indoors, saying the garden area was classed as “communal”. It added: “The council has received multiple complaints from residents alleging they have been attacked by the parrot. Our tenancy agreement and tenant handbook both state that pets must be kept under control and not cause a nuisance. “As a responsible landlord we aim for all our neighbourhoods to live together in harmony, and as such, where the comfort or convenience of other people is disturbed, this may break the conditions of the tenancy agreement. We hope the tenant can move the cages indoors to resolve the issues.”
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PersonInImage: Jim Jamieson with parrot Luna during a visit to Bridge Barbershop in Deeping St James, with barber George Martin