THE DEADLY WINGER

AS crowds of football fans flock to the Millennium Stadium for the Worthington Cup final today, spare a thought for a hungry hawk called Dad.

Because as Birmingham City and Liverpool fight it out on the pitch, Dad will be resting after winning his own battle - to keep the Cardiff stadium free from pigeons.

The deadly bird of prey can spot a meal from half a mile and will kill it in an instant.

But he has managed to clear the 72,000-seat arena using fear alone - in what could be called a bloodless coup.

Pigeons are terrified at the sight of Dad being let loose inside the famous rugby ground and make a hasty exit through its famous sliding roof.

Indeed, Dad has such a reputation among Cardiff's feral pigeons that only a brave few dare return to make roosts inside the pounds 124million stadium.

Dad, aged nine, is owned by Phil Hawkins who is employed by the Millennium Stadium to keep the venue clear of pigeons and other birds.

"If we weren't here the place would be full of pigeons making their roosts among the girders and in all the nooks and crannies," he said.

"The seats would be covered with droppings and that would present a real health hazard.

"Many people don't realise that infections can be spread by birds' droppings and that they are so acid they'll strip paint off.

"When we first arrived at the stadium it was in the final stages of being built and there must have been about 200 pigeons roosting here.

"It didn't take long for them to clear off once they knew Dad was around and now the stadium is virtually pigeon free.

"I must stress that the pigeons are not harmed in any way by this. They are simply scared away. It's a new concept in pest control - and it works.

"It's also much safer and more environmentally friendly to use a hawk instead of guns or poison," added Phil, 37, of Newport.

Even though the pigeons are terrified of Dad - a Harris Hawk native to South America - he would be lucky to catch one. He can fly up to 35mph while a healthy pigeon can go twice as fast.

Hawks usually catch their prey, mice or rabbits, by swooping on them from above.

"When Dad sees pigeons now, he knows he won't catch them but he's been trained to chase them and he does a great job," Phil said.

"It keeps him fit and as a place to work, this is about as good as it gets. It's a spectacular setting.

Phil takes Dad, who gets his name because of an impressive track record in producing chicks, on daily patrols of the stadium from about 8am. The searches continue until a couple of hours before kick- off.

"City pigeons are not frightened of human beings so they would be happy inside a packed stadium. But they're off like a shot if they think a hawk or a falcon is in the vicinity," said Phil.

"I've had him since he was sixteen weeks old and trained him myself. He's got his own personality and he's very loyal."

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