NOISY cockerels are driving Keighley residents mad with early morning crowing.

The number of complaints to Bradford Council about the birds has increased.

Across the Bradford district, complaints have risen almost fourfold over the past five years from 38 in 2009-10 to 147 in the past year.

People have been venting their anger after being woken in the early hours by the birds, which are kept with hens in chicken coops in small back yards and gardens.

The majority of complaints from residents have come from more densely-populated inner city areas but the council says there have also been a number of complaints from central Keighley.

Now council environmental health officers are highlighting the problem during Noise Action Week.

Environmental health officer Jeanette Howarth said: “It is not the biggest source of noise – most complaints concern loud music and barking dogs – but it is becoming more of an issue and we want to try and prevent it from escalating. In the past couple of months I have dealt with at least 20 calls.

“One cockerel crowing can affect the lives of many people in the locality. People ringing us are in a very irate, stressed state.”

At one location, we had complaints about four different cockerels within a short distance of each other.

If a nuisance persists officers can serve a Noise Abatement Notice under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Complaints have risen not only because more people are keeping the birds but there is increased awareness as to how to complain, with social media playing a part.

Many people acquire fowl as chickens and may not realise that there is a cock among them. Others mistakenly believe that a cockerel is needed for hens to lay.

When visiting properties council officers are often told that the cockerels are being kept as pets.

“It is not illegal to keep a cockerel but it is illegal to cause a statutory noise nuisance,” said environmental health officer Neil Winchcombe.

“Some people have told us that they are going to bed early because they know they will be woken up at 3am.”

The environmental health team advises owners to make efforts to rehome the birds. They will also give advice on methods of keeping them to reduce the impact on others.

“In the past they could easily be rehomed to local farms but there are now so many that that is not always possible, but there may find somewhere that will take them,” said Mr Winchcombe.

They plan to use council information boards and deliver leaflets to communities in the district to pass on the message. Information will also be posted at bradford.gov.uk.

To contact the environmental health department, call 01274 431000.