Police in a major UK city have launched an investigation into a spate of pigeon killings, after hordes of the birds made their home in a railway station. The pigeon population at Manchester Victoria reached an “unmanageable” level last October, leaving Northern Trains little option but to hire a firm to shoot them with air rifles, according to reports. But the operation went awry when pest controllers left a number of injured birds to die slowly from their wounds at the transport hub, with one found “trapped upside down” on a ledge in a “critical condition”.

Pest control firm Ecolab is now under investigation by British Transport Police following the cull, which killed almost 100 pigeons sheltering at the 19th century station.  Volunteer group Manchester Pigeon Rehab told The Telegraph: “Injuries were so servere [that a] leg required amputation by a vet. A member of the public [also] reported a grounded pigeon on the day of a cull [in November]. When the bird was taken into care, a pellet was found lodged in their neck.”

Northern Trains, which was nationalised in 2020, has been forced to call of the culling as a result of the bungled killings.

The railway firm reportedly told Manchester Pigeon Rehab that the cull was a “last option” necessary to prevent the birds from “posing a risk to colleagues and customers”, insisting that “all other reasonable avenues to mitigate the health and safety risk” had been exhausted.

A spokesperson for British Transport Police said: “Officers received a report on Friday, February 6, of pigeons that had been culled at Manchester Victoria railway station in October 2025.

“Enquiries into the circumstances of the cull are ongoing.”

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Northern Trains said in a statement: “This pest control activity was carried out at Manchester Victoria station last year, as the pigeons were becoming unmanageable and posing a risk to colleagues and customers.

“This was undertaken by a licensed and specialist subcontractor, following surveys and risk assessments.

“We use a number of other methods to deal with pigeons at stations across our network. We are reviewing the footage posted on social media and are sorry for any distress caused.

“Since the issue was brought to our attention in December, we have instructed our contractors to cease activity and no further culls are planned at Manchester Victoria.”

A spokesperson for Ecolab added: “Ecolab supports out customers in maintaining clean, safe and healthy environments. Our services are delivered under contract and in accordance with applicable regulatory and licensing requirements.”