Birds of prey could soon be called in to tackle Newton Abbot's growing pigeon population and those caught feeding them could face a £50 fine or be up before the beak. The number of complaints about the feral birds is growing, particularly among the town's traders, who are concerned about the impression, not to mention other things, the birds might leave on customers. Now the town's retail consortium is holding talks with pest control experts in a bid to flush out the avian invasion. Town centre manager Barbara Ann Curran told this newspaper: 'There is a growing realisation among a number of us, including Teignbridge environmental health, that we have to do something. 'We have already spoken with one falconry expert and have another coming next week.' Ms Curran said a number of other options were being considered and no decisions would be taken until she and her colleagues had consulted widely. She added that one idea being explored was the imposition of £50 fixed penalty fines for those feeding the birds, since dropping food could be littering. 'It's no good whatsoever us taking measures if people simply keep attracting more birds by feeding them,' she said. Liz Henley, who runs the Animal House pet shop in the pannier market, welcomed the plans. 'They come in here and peck their way into the feed sacks. I have to keep shooing them away,' she said. 'Sometimes they also get locked in the shop overnight and in the morning there's mess everywhere. They know the place so well that when I say it's time to get out they make their out and walk over to the door.' Not so keen on the clamp down was Irene Harvington, of Torquay. She comes in to town each Wednesday for the market and, ironically, buys seed from the Animal House with which to feed the pigeons. 'I enjoy it and to say it is littering is wrong as there's never anything left,' she said.