For a year, residents of Stratford-upon-Avon have been plagued by an intermittent, ear-piercing siren. The mystery has now been solved: pigeons were triggering security alarms at a local car dealership.
Residents Driven to Distraction
Ian Richards, 63, lives across a railway track from an industrial estate where the noise has blared randomly since last summer, usually outside working hours. The high-pitched alarm has interrupted evenings and weekends, causing sleepless nights and ruined gatherings.
"It's been an absolute b***** nightmare," Richards told the Mirror. "On Saturday, we were at a friend's barbecue two doors down, and we couldn't hear ourselves speak, because the b***** alarm kept going off from half past five, until 10 o'clock at night."
Amateur Sleuth Uncovers the Source
Local musician Louise, 44, who has endured the noise for six months, described it as a "piercing, high-pitched, continuous tone that sounds a bit like your worst nightmare of tinnitus." After sifting through complaints on a local Facebook forum, she suspected the noise came from Lister's car dealership. Staff initially denied it, but a sign for Resource Security Consultants, a Birmingham-based firm, led to a breakthrough. The firm confirmed they handled security for Listers and were called out to turn off alarms up to four times a week, including at 10:30 pm on a Saturday, matching resident reports.
The sensors were only activated on evenings and weekends, so staff on the ground hadn't known the alarm was sounding. Louise discovered that pigeons were the trigger, not a prank. Richards noted, "We get a hell of a lot of seagulls, because the seagulls used to nest in the factories before they were knocked down."
Council and Listers Respond
Louise reported her findings to the council. She said, "The piercing sound has been going on for so long - it shouldn't have taken a regular resident to figure it out. I'm glad if it stops, but I'm tired from doing all the investigating." The council and Listers have agreed to test the alarm's sensitivity, and residents hope for peace. Richards said, "I'll just be glad to be able to sleep without having it going off."
A spokesperson for Stratford-on-Avon District Council told The Mirror: "The Environmental Health team at Stratford-on-Avon District Council has been actively investigating this matter. The District Council is committed to ensuring residents are safe and their concerns are dealt with in a timely and compassionate manner."
