A couple are being forced to dive for cover each time they leave their home to avoid being splattered by bird droppings.

John Torok and his girlfriend Linda Raw claim their lives have been made a misery after spending the last three years dodging the droppings of our feathered friends.

Hundreds of starlings are roosting on an electricity pylon and its cables overlooking the garden of their house in Kingsway, Wrose.

But attempts to solve the problem - including blasting them with ultrasound waves and trying to scare them with decoy owls - have proved unsuccessful.

The unhappy couple are now at the end of their tether.

"It's getting to the point where I'm going to buy myself an air rifle and shoot the lot of them," said Mr Torok, 39.

"We have to run for cover to avoid being hit when we leave the house and there never really seems any point in cleaning the car. There's no way we would even think about hanging out any washing because it would have to be washed again.

"We just don't know what to do any more. It really is depressing. I'm sure at its worst there must be almost 1,000 birds at a time. If we knew about this problem we would never have moved into the house in the first place."

According to Mr Torok, the cables are full with birds at around 7am, then at lunchtime and returning at tea-time. Three quarters of the garden of the house is paved in stone but it cannot be seen because of the mess.

A Bradford Council environmental health spokesman said: "We have been up to see Mr Torok and sympathise with his problem.

"Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to stop birds roosting where they choose and we have no legal powers to take action as birds are classed as wild animals and not vermin.

"We have spoken to Yorkshire Electricity to see if they can do anything to help as the problem is being caused by starlings roosting on a pylon near his home.

"We have suggested that Mr Torok protects his car with plastic sheeting."

A spokesman for Yorkshire Electricity said: "We are aware of Mr Torok's concerns regarding wild birds landing on the overhead lines crossing his property.

"These lines are a vital part of our overhead network. We have carried out various trials at Mr Torok's property on a number of potential engineering solutions. These include the use of ultrasonics and even plastic owls. Regrettably these measures have proved unsuccessful.

"Unfortunately at the moment it appears that there is no alternative engineering solution."

Mr Torok said he has considered trying to sell the house but does not think anybody would buy it.