A pigeon fancier is calling for a cull of birds of prey which he blames for the devastation of the racing pigeon population.

Dino Reardon claims a sparrowhawk killed one of his champion pigeons the day before it was due to take part in a major race.

He found the bird - a top Donnini breed - mutilated and dying on his doorstep in The Grove, Skipton.

"I had got up at 6am to let it out for one last exercise before the race. I found it later on my doorstep where it had tried to get in but it was in a terrible state and it died," said Mr Reardon, who has bred a number of champion birds.

The pigeon was related to his famous bird Bluey, which won international fame after it was reported to have walked home after it was stolen and had its wings clipped by thieves.

Mr Reardon, a member of the Scottish Pigeon Racing Union, said members were calling for a cull of all falcons, including the sparrowhawk, because they were attacking pigeons and other song birds.

"There are too many birds of prey now and they are having a devastating effect on the pigeons," he said. "I have lost 15 birds so far this year to hawks. Now I have just 20 here at home."

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said there was no evidence to show that sparrow hawks and peregrine falcons were destroying the pigeon population or the population of other birds.