Pecking pests back at church

Woodpeckers are peppering a church tower with holes

Randy woodpeckers are pecking holes in a 900-year-old church tower in a bid to attract new mates.

It is not the first time the birds have targeted the tower at St Mary's Church in Great Henny, near Sudbury, Suffolk.

Four years ago, the birds were discovered using the wooden-clad spire as a sounding board to send out love calls and attract a mate.

It cost nearly £50,000 to repair the 11th Century tower and build a decoy oak replica nearby.

It was hoped the decoy would lure the woodpeckers away from the church.

But the courting lovebirds are back again, peppering the church tower with holes.

Appeal for advice

The church, which features in one of landscape painter Thomas Gainsborough's works is now trying to find a new way to drive the woodpeckers away.

Friends of the church are appealing for any advice on how to deal with the problem.

Veronica Worrall said they were disappointed the decoy had not worked and the woodpeckers had returned.

The church tower is made from cedar shingle on a timber frame.

It was first thought the birds were feeding on flies and insects inside.

However, bird experts discovered the woodpeckers were using the tower as a sounding board in the mating season.

Male woodpeckers gathered at the church to make a noise and attract females.