The Captain's Wife, a Mitchells and Butlers Sully based pub, filled a 100-year-old dovecote outside its establishment.

A dovecote is a structure designed to house pigeons or doves.

Due to public pressure, Mitchells and Butlers will reopen the dovecote and work with the local rescue team to consider alternative options for the doves.

Local residents responded with outrage over the decision to block the birds from entering their nests.

A community group on Facebook, the 'Sully Village Hub', published a post about the dovecote which amassed wide public interest and has been shared in different pages and groups thousands of times.

Mitchells and Butlers had sited health and safety concerns behind the decision to close up the dovecote.

The birds have since been pictured by locals turning up to the structure in attempt to get into their nests and failing.

Many locals and animal rescue groups are upset about the decision and calls had been made to boycott Mitchells and Butlers establishments until the issue is resolved.

Caerphilly Bird Rescue have also got involved in an attempt to move the doves and save any injured ones.

They stated on their Facebook page: ''There are a few dozen Doves out clinging to trees absolutely distraught and at the mercy of the Gale force winds and storms coming in tonight because Vintage Inns have deemed it okay to block the entrances to the Dovecote preventing them having the shelter and home they've always had.

''This is absolutely cruel and more so at this time of the year.

''We could have re-homed these birds as we have someone ready to take them to use their own Dovecote.''

An attempt was made by the bird rescue to go and assess the doves yesterday evening but they were threatened with a police call and forced to leave.

A Captain's Wife spokesperson said: "As a food and drink establishment hygiene and health & safety is our primary concern, having taken advice from multiple pest control agencies we have taken the decision to block the dovecote.

''This decision was not taken lightly, the dovecote is an integral feature of the pub and is one we hold with great fondness.

''However, due to unmanageable numbers of birds using the dovecote we had to block its entrance. None were harmed during this process.

"We will be carrying out a review of our decision in the coming weeks after a further assessment of the site.

''We understand and appreciate the local community's feelings towards the dovecote, but we believed this was the best option at the time."

The RSPB has some information about the legal situation surrounding the debate. Its website states:

All birds, their nests and eggs are protected by law and it is thus an offence, with certain exceptions, to:

• Intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird.

• Intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built.

• Intentionally take or destroy the egg of any wild bird.

• Use traps or similar items to kill, injure or take wild birds.

• Intentionally or recklessly disturb any wild bird listed on Schedule 1 while it is nest building, or at a nest containing eggs or young, or disturb the dependent young of such a bird.

Natural Resources Wales, who write and issue bird licensing in Wales, similarly point out the illegality of the destruction of birds homes and birds.

However, they do also outline the circumstances where there are exceptions. These are listed below:

GL001 – Licence to kill or take certain wild birds to prevent serious damage to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables or fruit or to prevent the spread of disease to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables or fruit. Species covered: Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Canadian Goose.

GL002 – Licence to kill or take certain wild birds for the purpose of preserving public health and preventing the spread of disease to humans. Species covered: Feral Pigeon

GL004 – Licence to kill or take certain wild birds for the purpose of conserving wild birds. Species covered: Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw, Jay

GL016 - Licence to take and release alive certain wild birds from food premises for the purpose of preserving public health and public safety. Species covered: Blackbird, Dunnock, Robin, House Sparrow, Starling, Song Thrush, Blue Tit, Great tit, Pied Wagtail

Doves have been removed from general licenses in 2019 and thus an individual application would have to be submitted to carry out this action legally.

Wild birds around Sully Island and Penarth Coast are also protected further under the Protected sites where the general licence does not authorise the taking of any action.

This licence does not authorise any action to be taken within, or within 300 metres of the boundary of any of the protected sites listed.

NRW may also issue individual licences to permit the killing or taking of wild birds due to public health and safety, provided that there is no satisfactory alternative to this and the applicant has evidence of other methods being exhausted.

The issue has since been taken head on by Mitchells and Butlers who stated that the Dovecote will be reopened today.

We are waiting on an official statement from the press team and will update when we receive this information.