How to you pick off pigeons who are making themselves a pest? By calling in a predator, of course.

North Herts College has called in this magnificent bird of prey, a crossbred Gyr and Sakar falcon, to scare away pigeons from the college’s building on Monkswood Way in Stevenage.

The falcon was signed up four months ago after the birds started to cause significant damage to the roof, and it now flies by every two weeks.

The college has also installed audio bird scarers on the roof to discourage the birds.

A spokesman said: “This started four months ago when pigeons caused some damage to the roof. Apparently it’s quite common practice to get birds of prey in to scare birds away.”