THE landlord of a Mildenhall pub is at a loss to find a way of fending off jackdaws that are tearing apart his thatched roof.

Ever since the Horseshoe Inn had its roof re-thatched in 2014 at a cost of £35,000, John Desmond has been beset by the birds picking apart the fresh straw of the Grade II-listed building, causing more than £1,000 in damage.

In an attempt to scare them off, he has tried a number of peculiar techniques, such as putting balloons, decoy birds, statue cats, CDs, curry powder and even a kite up on the roof, but to no avail. 

Now the 62-year-old is asking for people to come forward with any other suggestions to help him end his nightmare.

"I am just so fed up and exasperated by it all. You name it, we have tried it. We have asked experts, thatchers and scoured the web but the answer still eludes us," he said.

"They treat it like a Tesco convenience store. Popping in and out, doing their business and then flying off after wrecking my roof. There is a family of them up by the chimney, it is a nice nesting ground for them.

"I cannot get insurance for it as you cannot get insured for bird damage. I will never stop trying to find a solution but it seems like a never-ending problem. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to tell me.

"Ever since the new fresh straw was put on, those pesky birds have been bugging us ever since. I really do not know what to do. It stays pretty constant throughout the year.

"We had to replace the roof as it was a listed building and was in need of repair. I just never expected something like this."

Mr Desmond added that despite not being able to fix this ongoing issue, many customers seem to admire his efforts.

"I have had a lot of people commenting on it. Some thought that I was having a non-stop, 12-month long party with all the stuff up there on the roof," he said.

"It is quite an interesting sight to see for sure. Customers talk about it all the time. Maybe it can attract a few more people in, who knows.

"I do not regret re-thatching the roof as it really needed to be replaced but that is how it goes I guess."