ANIMAL rights activists today criticised City of York Council's decision to go ahead with a cull of more than 70 geese in Rowntree Park.

The activists claim there are numerous other options available and that killing the birds would only be a short-term solution.

They are now calling on council chiefs to rethink their decision, which came after Whitehall turned down a request to transfer the geese to a sanctuary in Surrey.

Andrew Butler, spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), said that even if the cull went ahead it would not be long before other geese took their place. "The council cannot have explored all the other options thoroughly, and it's disgraceful," he said.

"These birds are a feature of the park which most people view as an asset, not a nuisance, and the council has an obligation to make sure that what happens is best for the geese, not just what is most convenient for themselves."

Mr Butler said there were scores of options available to the council that would not mean killing the geese.

These include contraception, limiting food supplies and limiting areas where they can land and roost.

Peta have already written to City of York Council with their concerns after being approached by local people, and will be contacting them again to push for all other avenues to be explored.

The Evening Press reported yesterday that animal rights group Care for the Wild had found a sanctuary that was prepared to take the geese, but that the request had been turned down by the Government on the grounds that the transfer would just move the problem from one place to another. The council says the birds pose a health hazard and that the only option now left is to go ahead with the cull.