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Removal of Aged, Infirm or Physically Incapacitated Persons.
Under Section 28 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1928, the borough
council have power to remove to a hospital, infirmary, institution or other similar place, aged, infirm
or physically incapacitated persons living under insanitary conditions.
During the year, three cases were dealt with. One was that of a woman of 67 years of age
who lived alone in two ground floor rooms. She appeared somewhat eccentric and, owing to trouble
with her legs, could move about only with difficulty. Her rooms were dirty and she was not able
to keep them clean. She was removed to St. Mary Abbots Hospital (Institution) and after she
had been there for three months, application was made to the magistrates for her to be detained
for a further period of three months ; this was granted. Subsequently she died in the institution.
The second case was that of a woman of 93 years, who occupied a front upper room. She
was very shaky, and extremely dirty and neglected ; she suffered from a chronic cough and was
unable to give herself proper care and attention. Her room was very insanitary, and her bedclothes,
which consisted of old coats, were unclean. An order for her removal to hospital was obtained,
and she remained there until her death.
The third case was that of a woman of 88 years, who lived alone in a first floor front room. The
room was dirty and verminous, and the woman was unable to look after herself or keep her room
in a habitable condition. An order was obtained for her removal to St. Mary Abbots Hospital
(Institution) in October, and she died shortly after admission.

During the National Rat Week, held in November, special measures of rat destruction were
put in hand in the borough council sewers, at the borough council depots and on railway and canal
property in the borough.
Nuisances from Pigeons.
Section 52 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1927, provides that, for the
purpose of abating or mitigating any nuisance, annoyance or damage caused by the congregation at
any place in the borough of house doves or pigeons having, or believed by the borough council to
have no owner, or of preventing or minimising any such nuisance, annoyance or damage which
might, in the opinion of the council, be so caused, the council may seize and destroy or sell any
such house doves or pigeons in excess of such number as the council may consider reasonable, and
take such steps as they may deem necessary for this purpose. It is necessary, however, in the first
place for the council to obtain consent to the measures adopted by them from the person or body
in whom the building or land upon which the birds congregate is vested.
For some time past the destruction of pigeons in the borough has been rendered more difficult
because a number of residents habitually feed the birds, thus making trapping more difficult. This
aspect of the problem was considered by the public health committee, and on their recommendation
the council, in the latter part of 1934, asked the metropolitan boroughs standing joint committee
to consider whether any legislation could be obtained which would enable a local authority to take
action against any persons feeding wild pigeons after notice had been given by the local authority
that such feeding was resulting in a nuisance to the residents in the vicinity. The standing joint
committee considered this representation, but decided to take no action thereon as they were of
the opinion that any powers acquired for this purpose would be difficult to enforce, and probably
ineffective in result.
In the latter part of 1935 the council decided to reaffirm their opinion that the local authority
should have powers to take action against persons feeding wild pigeons after a warning had been
given.
During the year 1935, 129 pigeons were killed and 97 eggs destroyed. Since June, 1928, when
the council first took action under this section, 1,852 pigeons have been destroyed.