For many years, one of the most popular tourist sights in London was the feeding of the pigeons in Trafalgar Square.
This woman, Mabel Barnes, was employed by Westminster Council to distribute poisoned bird seed to keep numbers down. The bird seed used by the Council was designed to cause the pigeons a slow and agonising death.
During her career, Mabel was personally responsible for the deaths of many thousands of these unwelcome and disease-ridden pests. Her service to Westminster saw her awarded the freedom of the borough.
Sadly, shortly after this picture was taken, Mabel was pecked to death by these birds.
A campaign to erect a statue of Mabel on the fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square was recently announced by the Council.
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