Never mind cafs -- Bradford's pigeon's may get their own "hotels" to coax them out of the city and town centres.

The Telegraph & Argus revealed last week that council officers were looking at schemes for providing the ever-growing flocks with designated feeding areas.

But now a major international bird- control charity is seeking talks with the council to discuss extending the scheme.

It could result in the council following the example of the London borough of Dagenham which has set aside a pigeon-feeding area in a park along with a huge ornamental dovecote.

The idea is to get the birds to feed on their favourite feasts and lay their eggs. When the birds get used to their home comforts in Dagenham, the eggs will be removed by council staff to cut the population.

Guy Merchant, director of the Cambridgeshire-based Pigeon Control Advisory Service, has written to Bradford Council seeking a meeting after seeing the T&A front- page article.

Mr Merchant is already in talks with Halifax Council about similar schemes and says Bradford may like to be involved.

He said: "We applaud Bradford Council for this initiative but feel it could be taken further. Old methods used by other councils are sometimes cruel and culling doesn't work. But it is possible to put schemes in place without spending a great deal of taxpayers' money."

The organisation offers its advice free and says its control mechanisms are based on scientific research.

Bradford Council's executive member for the environment Councillor Anne Hawkesworth said she would be pleased to have talks with any organisation which could suggest constructive methods of dealing with the problem.