Cage rage
9:17am Wednesday 26th July 2006 in News By Matt Jackson
11-year-old Thomas Hanks tries to get Blue to pipe down because neighbours are fed up with the noise he makes and have complained to North Wiltshire council. It coud mean that the family may have to get rid of Blue
FEATHERS are going to fly in Wootton Bassett if a distraught young family has to get rid of their favourite pet.
The Hanks family might have to get rid of their parrot Blue after neighbours complained to North Wiltshire District Council about his squawking.
Shelley Hanks, 37, of Roebuck Close, received a letter from the council saying that the blue and yellow macaw was driving neighbours mad.
She said: "I got a letter on Saturday saying that people had complained about Blue.
"Everyone is completely devastated. He is a member of the family and there's nowhere for him to go."
Shelley, her husband Anthony and her sons Thomas, 11, and Marcus, four, took Blue under their wing six weeks ago.
Since then the council has received complaints from neighbours about the cries the macaw makes.
Shelley said: "If I go out he shouts mum' and cries until I come back.
"He knows quite a few words and can mimic all the family members.
"Once a neighbour said she thought I had left my son at home because the crying was so realistic."
And Blue's fate may already have been decided. This week Shelley received a call from the council's environmental health team to say that the bird should go.
Shelley said: "They phoned and made it sound like Blue already had to go.
"They said to me they are not telling me to get rid of him but it will come to that. People around here don't like the noise."
Shelley's mum Gloria Mutlow said: "They are so upset by this. But I know that Shelley won't have Blue put to sleep.
"The parrot says Thanks Dad' when Anthony feeds him, and also says Hello Marcus' when he comes into the room."
Shelley said: "I'm going to have to try to find a good home for him.
"But right now I can't think of that. I have been crying all morning and just don't know what to do."
For the Hanks' neighbours though, the council action cannot come early enough.
A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "The noise is terrible, you can hear it all the time.
"It is at it's worst at around 4.30pm. It's complete bedlam, especially when the children are out the back as well.
"Lots of our neighbours have phoned the council to complain, as well.
"We had a barbecue the other day which was ruined because of the noise."
North Wiltshire District Council spokesman Paul Lancaster said: "We have had several complaints and written to the lady who owns the bird.
"We are monitoring the noise because the number of complaints we have had is larger than normal.
"If it was one or two it might be a passing problem, but there have been more than that."
Mr Lancaster confirmed that the bird could face eviction, but only if the noise levels were too high.
He said: "This is very much at an early stage.
"However, if it is found that there is an unacceptable noise level then we could serve an abatement order. This orders the resident to remove the source of noise, in this case the parrot."
