£4k legal bill for cockerel's 3am 'torture'

A PENSIONER has been ordered to pay nearly £4,000 after his noisy pet cockerel "tortured" neighbours by waking them as early as 3am.

- By Charlie Bradley

Environmental health officers recorded Harold Brown's "nuisance" bird crowing once a minute for an hour and a half. They acted after neighbours complained of the continual "cock-a-doodle-do" sound coming from 82-year-old Mr Brown's garden.

Last November, the OAP, who had said "It doesn't cock-a-doodle-do, it croaks", was found guilty at Southampton Magistrates' Court of failing to obey a noise abatement order and fined £580. The city's crown court has now thrown out Mr Brown's appeal against his conviction. He was fined a further £200 with £3,651 legal costs.

Mr Brown stormed out while hearing District Judge Timothy Pattinson's decision.