Council contractors dump Swift nests and chicks in a skip

An alleged wildlife crime has taken place.

This week brings yet more heartbreaking news for Swifts.

At least one Swift nest was destroyed on Tuesday 7 July during council renovation works in Jarrow, South Tyneside. A chick pulled from the damage, found dehydrated and in poor shape, has since been taken in by local rescue centre Pawz for Thought, where staff say the bird is stabilising. Nest debris was also spotted in the contractors’ skip.

Northern Swifts Group’s Sue Hope told the Guardian that more than one nest is likely to have been destroyed, since Swifts nest together in colonies and a single nest usually contains two or three chicks.

South Tyneside Council stated:

“We are aware of concerns that Swift nests may have been disturbed during roofing works undertaken by a council-appointed contractor in Lulworth Avenue, Jarrow.

As soon as this was brought to our attention, further works were suspended pending the completion of additional ecological surveys and assessments.”

The council went on to say:

“South Tyneside Council takes the protection of wildlife very seriously and has launched an immediate investigation into the matter. Ahead of any roofing works starting, a full ecological survey is carried out and contractors are given ‘toolbox talks’ around appropriate action should a nest be found.

We have requested a full report from the contractor and are working to establish the facts surrounding the incident.

We will continue to work closely with the contractor and relevant ecological specialists to ensure appropriate measures are in place to protect wildlife and comply with all relevant legal and environmental obligations.

As our investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

Protect the Wild spoke to North East Animal Rights’ Anna Malia. She told us:

“Sadly we were made aware a few days ago about an alleged wildlife crime in relation to nests being deliberately removed and chicks subsequently killed during building works.

This council has an Animal Protection Charter in place which demonstrates their commitment to animal related issues including wildlife. The council have always worked with us and supported us so we know that they will properly and quickly investigate this matter. We look forward to hearing the results of the investigation so we can be sure that this cannot happen again and that the contractor concerned faces consequences for their actions. We would like to thank the local Swift groups and residents for their quick action to make sure the work was stopped before any more birds were killed or displaced.”

This breeding season, numerous acts of cruelty to Swifts have been reported to Protect the Wild, including an incident where developers destroyed a building while Swifts were nesting in Surrey.

This latest incident is a reminder that ecological safeguards are only as good as their enforcement. Councils must ensure contractors actually follow them, and face consequences when they don't.