A proposal to cull 75 geese in a York park was today branded "despicable" by animal rights activists.

The geese are accused of causing hygiene risks in Rowntree Park, and a licence to kill the birds will be applied for by City of York Council if members agree at a meeting this week.

Nesting sites in the park and in Monk Bridge Gardens would be fenced off and extra efforts made to stop the public feeding them.

Eggs would be treated to prevent hatching.

The proposals follow a petition to the council from 80 parents concerned about droppings creating a health hazard.

Council officers will recommend members of the leisure services committee to take the action and cut geese numbers to under 30 in Rowntree Park.

But the proposals have drawn an angry response from members of York Animal Aid.

Spokesman Alan Robertshaw said the group was considering attending Thursday's meeting to make its views known.

"It's a despicable idea - we should be able to co-exist with other animals," he said.

"Surely there must be an alternative way of dealing with this issue, such as trapping them and moving them to another location, but the council seems to be taking the easy option of just killing them."

Coun Mark Waudby labelled the plans "barbaric".

He said: "I know the geese are causing a problem but I don't think a cull should be considered until all other options have been tried out."

Andrew Lovett, of the council's leisure services department, said that without intervention geese numbers would continue to increase.

"In Rowntree Park alone, between 80 and 100 birds can often be seen grazing, and it is widely recognised that large flocks bring problems to their favoured areas."

He said research suggests that 100 birds would deposit 4,600 droppings in an average day. The droppings contain potentially dangerous bacteria, including E coli.

Droppings in Rowntree Park lake can lead to toxic algal blooms and low oxygen levels in the water. Geese can also behave aggressively towards people, particularly during the breeding season.

If approved, the culling would take about three hours and would be carried out by a vet.

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