A 78-year-old grandad is facing a Crown Court trial — and could even end up behind bars — after allegedly breaking an order that banned him from feeding birds in his hometown.
Brian Wilkins, known locally as Hartlepool’s “Bird Man,” was previously hit with a £2,000 fine after councillors accused him of regularly feeding pigeons and seagulls around Hartlepool. Officials claimed his actions were making the town’s vermin problem worse.
Mr Wilkins had reportedly been buying as many as 30 loaves of bread a day to feed the birds and was taken to court by the council in April 2025.
He is now accused of breaching the community order that banned him from feeding wildlife after allegedly leaving food for birds on Green Street in Hartlepool on February 11.
The pensioner appeared before Teesside Magistrates’ Court earlier in May, charged with one count of breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order.
He chose to have his case heard by a jury, and on Monday (June 29), a two-day trial was scheduled for August 9 next year.
The Criminal Behaviour Order was originally issued by magistrates on April 1 last year after he was found throwing what was described as “excessive amounts” of bird seed and food from a trolley.
The order remains in place for two years and bans Mr Wilkins from leaving food in public or accessible spaces anywhere in Hartlepool because of fears it could attract rats and other pests.
Mr Wilkins had also previously been fined £250, along with a £100 surcharge and £1,826 in court costs.
If found guilty of breaching the order, he could face a prison sentence. For now, he has been released on unconditional bail.
