Town gets geese signs to allay resident's fears

An animal lover's worries about the safety of geese in her town have led to the creation of specialist signs aimed at protecting her feathered friends.

Shelagh Kavanagh said she was spurred into action after several geese were killed when a gaggle was hit by a car in Ramsbottom recently.

She said the avian adventurers had almost achieved celebrity status in the Greater Manchester town after a picture of them waiting at a road crossing was shared on social media, but their proclivity for walking into the road had left them in danger.

After approaching Bury Council and being told there was no money for signs, she managed to get a local firm to create some that she hoped would now keep the free-ranging fowl safe.

Ms Kavanagh said while the geese were “a joy to observe”, many residents had become concerned that they were placing themselves in danger.

Melba Swintex, which manufactures temporary traffic management systems, offered to create the signs for free after a worker read about the issue on Facebook.

Sharon Otto, who works at the company, said the geese "brought a tremendous amount of pleasure to everyone" and the firm wanted to help keep them safe.

Ms Kavanagh said the firm's response was "typical of Ramsbottom", as the town had a "good community who pull together when necessary".

She added that the geese had “as much right to be here as us” and hoped drivers would “respect them and not hurt them”.

Bury Council said it supported the idea of the signs, providing they were put up on private land and did not obstruct the highway.